SHlHHMMIMWMIIJIINMNHWHHHHN 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


From  Photograph 

of  him 

after  14  years 

Confinement  in  the 

Penitentiary 


"FOLK    WELLS" 

(CHAS.  POLK  WELLS) 

When  Captured 
and  put  in 

the 
Penitentiary 

at 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES 

OF 

POLK  WELLS 

(CHARLES  KNOX  POLK  WELLS) 


THE 
NOTORIOUS  OUTLAW 


Whose  Acts  of  Fearlessness  and  Chivalry  Kept  the  Frontier  Trails 
Afire  with  Excitement,  and  whose  Roberies  and  other  Depredations 
in  the  Platte  Purchase  and  Elsewhere,  have  been  a  Most  Frequent 
Discussion  to  this  day,  all  of  which  Transpired  During  and  Just  After 
The  Civil  War. 


WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF 

Published  by  G.  A.  WARNICA 

His  Life  Long  Friend  and  Chief  Financial  Support 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

«$ 

Page 
Polk  Wells'  Portrait  ~\ 

before  entering  penitentiary  (. Frontispiece 

after  14  years  in  penitentiary     j 

Father  Wells  Thrashes  Polk  for  Striking  Storekeeper 26 

Swimming  the  Missouri  River,  leaving  home 28 

Escapes  from  Father  by  Swimming  Creek 30 

Wells'    First    Shooting   Scrape    on    Old    Pomeroy   Ferry    at 

Atchison,  Kans 38 

Entirely  Surrounded  by  Indians — Fights  His  Way  Out. 59 

A  Fearful  Early  Morning  Charge 69 

Seven  Dead  Indians  in  this  Escapade 90 

An  Exciting  Scrap  with  the  Danites 149 

Holding  up   "Overland  Route"   Office — Using  Dummies   Be- 
hind Log 164 

Portraits   G  A   Warnica   and   Wife,   formerly    Mrs.    Nora 

Wells— Polk  Wells'  Chief  Backers 167 

Nora  Taking  a  Horse  to  Wells'  Rescue 187 

Wouldn't  Rob  Orton  Circus  Because  of  Generous   Hearted 

Showman    190 

Shot  Through  Knee  at  Riverton  (la.)  Bank  Robbery 200 

Robbing  The   Jerseyville    (111.)    Bank 204 

Portrait  Sheriff  Chandler  and  Family 209 

Polk  Wells  Captured  at  Randolph,  Wis 213 

Life  in  Fort  Madison  (Iowa)   Penitentiary 218 

John  Elder  Chloroformed  to  Effect  Escape  from  Penitentiary  221 
Escape  of  Wells,  Cook  and  Fitzgerald .224 


-r-3  i 


PREFACE. 


jENTIMENT  moulds  public  opinion.  The  ex- 
pressions of  but  a  single  man  may  change  a 
whole  epoch  of  history.  The  records  of  the 
world  itself,  which  are  known  to  us  as  history, 
are  but  the  lives  and  acts  of  its  citizenship. 
Each  individual  makes  his  or  her  part  of  that 
record,  whether  knowingly  or  unknowingly.  It 
has  been  truthfully  said  that  "it  takes  all  kind  of  people  to 
make  a  world."  It  likewise  takes  all  kinds  of  lives  to  make 
up  her  history. 

History  is  seen  through  many  eyes,  and  the  records  of  her 
various  lives,  whether  good  or  bad,  must  in  the  aggregate 
form  a  true  and  impartial  history  of  the  nation's  life.  What 
some  men  would  discard  from  record,  others  would  find  most 
important  to  impress  the  public  mind.  It  is  with  this  feeling 
that  this  book,  THE  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 
CHARLES  KNOX  POLK  WELLS,  better  known  to  the  public 
as  "POLK  WELLS,"  is  made  a  matter  of  permanent  record. 
We  do  not  present  it  to  you  for  your  reading  and  considera- 
tion, as  an  example  of  perfect  life  or  an  exemplary  one,  far 
from  it.  His  exciting  career  of  lawlessness,  his  super  daring 
deeds,  has  long  since  fixed  his  name  on  frontier  record  as  one 
full  of  pathetic  hatred  and  his  very  name  as  one  with  which 
to  coerce  children  into  good  behavior.  However,  there  are 
thousands  of  his  friends,  too,  who  have  found  much  in  his 
life  to  admire,  for  even  his  enemies  freely  admit  he  had  a 
large,  warm  and  kindly  heart;  that  he  never  once  took  a 
penny  from  a  poor  person,  and  was  always  ready  to  bestow 
his  last  one  upon  them.  He  stands  charged  with  many  crimes 
of  which  he  is  but  the  rightful  perpetrator,  perhaps  guilty 
of  some  even  unknown,  but  many  were  false  and  but  the  work 


of  a  vicious  public  revenge,  which  places  all  crime  committed 
upon  the  shoulders  of  he  who  at  that  time  stands  most  promi- 
nent in  daring  deeds  of  outlawry,  upon  the  public  mind. 

The  Life  of  Polk  Wells  is  exceptionally  full  of  the  frontier 
life  of  the  West.  His  adventures  amongst  the  Indians  is  par- 
ticularly thrilling  and  reveal  to  us  many  of  their  singular 
traits,  habits,  etc.  His  boundless  friendship  to  friends,  and 
his  excellent  kindness  to  even  enemies,  is  enobling.  All  we 
ask  of  you,  kind  reader,  is  a  patient  reading,  a  candid,  careful 
sifting  of  the  "wheat  from  the  tares." 

This  history  of  his  life  was  written  by  himself,  while  an 
inmate  of  the  penitentiary,  in  a  lonely  felon's  cell,  at  Fort 
Madison,  Iowa,  where  he  poured  out  his  soul  in  agony  over 
his  past  missteps,  talks  to  us  of  better  things,  and  leaves  for 
us  this  publication,  whether  for  better  or  for  worse. 

G.  A.  WARNICA,  Publisher. 

Halls,  Mo.,  February  1st,  1907. 


Life  and  Adventures  of  Polk  Wells 


CHAPTER    I. 

Messrs.  Richard  Wells  and  Moses  Berriman  were  residents 
of  London,  England.  The  former  was  an  Englishman  by  birth, 
education  and  religion,  and  the  latter  a  Jew  of  the  strictest  sect. 
Mr.  Wells  and  family  usually  spent  the  summer  months  in  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  at  his  country  residence.  Barney,  his  eldest  son, 
was  a  tall,  handsome  fellow;  a  man  of  unimpeachable  veracity 
and  integrity,  an  accomplished  horseman,  proficient  with  the 
fowling-piece,  was  first  in  the  chase  and  greatly  enjoyed  the 
"music"  produced  by  his  "pack"  of  black-and-tan  hounds. 

Mr.  Berriman's  family  consisted  of  himself  and  daughter 
the  country  during  the  heated  season  at  the  home  of  a  friend 
Rachel,  and  they,  too,  were  wont  to  while  away  some  weeks  in 
living  near  the  Wells  estate.  Rachel  was  cultured  and  refined, 
symmetrically  developed,  possessed  a  pure,  spotless  character  and 
a  warm,  affectionate  nature,  and  I  need  hardly  say  a  handsome 
face  as  Jewish  ladies  are  noted  the  world  over  for  those  attributes 
— large,  lustrous  brown  eyes,  long,  raven  tresses  and  delicate, 
peachy  complexion — which  the  poets  of  all  ages  love  to  sing  about 
and  which  (with  other  perfections  of  mind  and  body  alluded  to) 
stamp  them  the  beauty  queens  of  earth.  The  daughters  of  Job 
were  the  fairest  in  the  land  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Raphael 
could  not  have  found  a  model  for  his  Madonna  anywhere  outside 
the  Jewish  race. 

If  Rachel  was  exquisitely  beautiful  she  also  knew  how  to 
preserve  that  beauty  by  indulging  her  fondness  for  equestrian 
exercises,  and  while  out  for  a  canter  one  day  met  Barney  Wells, 
to  whom'  she  was  soon  married,  and  the  following  year  (1791) 
they  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Henry  County, 
Old  Virginia,  near  the  old  Henry  Court  House,  where  they 
bought  a  large  tobacco  plantation  with  a1!  appurtenances  thereto, 
including  a  number  of  slaves,  thoroughbred  horses,  game-cocks, 
and  a  "pack"  of  fox-hounds — all  of  which  no  planter  could  afford 


8  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

to  be  without,  that  is  if  he  expected  to  retain  the  respect  and 
good-will  of  his  neighbors,  as  riding  to  the  hounds  was  regarded 
as  the  one  recreation  necessar-y  to  engage  the  time,  excite  the 
brain,  and  try  the  skill  and  courage  of  the  gentleman  sportsman. 

The  new  home  occupied  an  elevated  position  near  the  south- 
ern edge  of  a  large  maple  grove  from  which  a  great  deal  of  sugar 
and  syrup  were  made.  In  the  rear  of  the  dwelling  were  the  negro 
quarters,  stock  stables,  tobacco  barns  and  other  buildings.  Away 
to  the  south  lay  the  large  level  fields,  at  the  bottom  of  which  was 
a  three-quarter  mile  race-track  and  its  accompanying  "cock-pit." 
Hunting,  racing,  and  cock-fighting  were  the  principal  amuse- 
ments of  country  gentlemen,  therefore  everyone  owning  land  and 
slaves  was  necessarily  obliged  to  keep  a  stable  of  fine-bred  hunt- 
ers and  racers,  game-cocks  and  hounds;  also  a  copper  still  for 
making  "apple- jack"  and  corn  whiskey — without  such  delicacies 
no  Virginian's  table  was  properly  furnished. 

The  old  coachman  and  the  house  servants  soon  informed  their 
new  "Massa"  and  "Missus"  of  those  of  their  neighbors  who  were 
"de  quality  folks"  and  pointed  out  the  "Po  white  trash,"  with 
which  all  communication  and  association  was  peremptorily  inter- 
dicted by  "Old  Black  Mammy."  The  Master,  however,  was  giv- 
en a  wide  range  of  latitude  and  allowed  much  discretion  in  his 
intercourse  with  "uppertindum."  Hence  his  wealth,  refinement 
and  lively  disposition,  to  say  nothing  of  his  inclination,  made  it 
incumbent  on  him  to  assume  the  place  in  the  social  whirl  and 
pastimes  of  the  neighborhood  that  his  predecessor  had  occupied 
consequently  he  soon  became  a  leading  spirit  at  the  race  course 
and  fox  chase. 

His  wife,  knowing  it  was  customary  in  England  for  ladies 
to  ride  to  hounds,  and  seeing  her  neighbor  women  accompanying 
the  hunters,  also  joined  the  chase,  and,  being  as  fearless  as  she 
was  graceful  in  the  saddle,  always  demanded  the  best  horse, 
which  her  husband  gallantly  yielded  to  her.  After  experiencing 
the  enthusiasm  and  thrill  of  joy  engendered  by  this  sort  of  sport 
she  became  desirous  of  taking  a  "brush"  which  she  accomplished 
by  being  first  "in  at  the  death."  The  hunt  was  so  fascinating  to 
her  that  she  rode  in  the  chase  until  her  first  son  was  of  age. 

Here  it  was,  amid  splendid  surroundings,  scenes  of  mirth  and 
chivalry  that  Barney  and  Rachel  reared  a  family  of  eight  boys 
and  educated  them  in  the  best  schools  of  the  state  The  three 
youngest  died  on  the  old  homestead,  while  the  others  drifted 
west  and  in  various  ways  distinguished  themselves.  John  was 
the  champion  hog  and  tobacco  raiser  of  Jefferson  County,  Illinois 
Barney  was  a  Major  in  the  Mexican  war,  and,  for  many  years,  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Jefferson  County,  Illinois,  where  he  and 
John  both  died.  William  was  a  land  speculator  and  money  gath- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  '/ 

erer  of  Barton  County,  Missouri,  where  he  was  killed  for  his 
money  by  the  Kansas  Jayhawkers  during  the  late  Civil  war.  Ed- 
mond  was  for  several  terms  Judge  of  the  District  Court  of  Linn 
County,  Missouri,  while  Benjamin,  the  eldest  son,  distinguished 
himself  principally  as  an  honest  man  and  a  warrior.  He  served 
as  Lieutenant  in  General  Scott's  command,  and  was  twice  wound- 
ed at  the  battle  of  Lundy's  Lane  during  the  war  of  1812,  after 
which  he  returned  home  and  married.  One  son  was  born  to  him, 
and  his  wife  died.  He  again  married,  three  sons  were  born  to 
him  and  the  second  wife  died.  With  his  four  little  boys  he  moved 
west,  and,  in  1830,  he  landed  at  the  old  trading  post  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi now  the  flourishing  city  of  Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  and  two 
years  later  commanded  a  volunteer  regiment  against  Black  Hawk 

Joseph  Bovay,  an  enterprising  young  Frenchman  in  1790 
began  trading  with  the  Indians  and  later  established  a  trading  post 
on  or  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Burlington,  Iowa.  About 
this  time  all  thought  and  interest  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  was 
directed  toward  the  young  warrior  "Muck-Ah-Ta-Mish-E-Kah- 
Knack,"  which  translated  into  English  means  "Black  Hawk,  who 
early  distinguished  himself  for  bravery  and  wisdom,"  and,  natur- 
ally enough,  was  elected  chief  of  one  of  the  largest  and  most  war- 
like tribes  of  the  nation.  Mr.  Bovay,  better  known  along  the  up- 
per Mississippi  as  "French  Joe,"  noting  the  popularity  and  influ- 
ence of  the  newly  made  chief  hastened  to  win  his  support  and 
patronage  by  marrying  his  sister  who  was,  of  course,  the  reigning 
belle  of  her  tribe.  Mr.  Bovay,  unlike  the  general  run  of  "Squaw- 
men"  (as  they  were  called)  seems  to  have  had  a  genuine  manly 
respect  and  true  love  for  his  Indian  wife — who  died  in  giving 
birth  to  a  baby  girl — since  he  named  his  little  daughter  Mizellah 
after  and  in  honor  of  his  own  mother  and  took  her  to  St.  Louis 
Missouri,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated  by  his  relatives. 
Each  year  with  a  boat  load  of  furs  he  floated  down  the  Mississippi 
to  St.  Louis  and  after  disposing  of  his  cargo  spent  some  weeks 
visiting  with  his  child  who  at  the  age  of  eighteen  returned  home 
with  him. 

Randolph  Smith,  a  young  man  of  German  and  Scotch  ex- 
traction, and  an  own  uncle  to  the  prophet  John  Smith  of  Mor- 
mon fame,  now  put  in  his  appearance  at  the  Bovay  home  and 
soon  after  married  the  Frenchman's  daughter.  The  first  fruits  of 
this  union  was  twins,  a  boy  named  Jerome,  and  a  girl  named 
Lureanah,  who  was  also  sent  to  St  Louis  and  educated  under  the 
immediate  directions  of  her  mother's  friends.  She,  some  months 
previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  war  with  Black  Hawk,  mar- 
ried a  Kentucky  gentleman  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  "Bad 
Axe." 

Berriman  G.  Wells  in  1834  wedded  the  young  widow  Lure- 


10  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

anah  and  took  her  and  her  little  blue-eyed  boy  to  his  home  in 
Augusta,  Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
In  1840  they  and  Randolph  Smith,  familiarly  known  as  "Black 
Hawk  Smith,"  by  reason  of  his  relationship  to  that  chieftain 
moved  to  Missouri  and  in  the  south-west  corner  of  Buchanan 
County  on  the  river  bottom  each  bought  a  section  of  land  on 
which  they  commenced  rearing  permanent  homes.  The  great 
overflow  in  1844  stopped  the  work  and  compelled  the  families  to 
move  from  the  bottom  to  Rushville,  which  is  located  on  a  piece 
of  table  land  connecting  the  river  bottom  with  the  bluffs.  The 
land  having  dried  off  the  family  returned  to  the  farm  but  Mr. 
Wells  remained  in  town  to  complete  his  "still-house"  and  "tobac- 
co press."  In  the  former  he  converted  the  farmers'  corn  into 
whiskey,  and  in  the  latter  their  tobacco  was  manufactured  into 
plugs  or  pressed  into  hogsheads  ready  for  shipping. 

His  business  caused  Rushville  to  rapidly  increase  in  popula- 
tion which,  of  course,  was  the  means  of  filling  his  coffers  with 
gold,  for  whiskey  and  tobacco  were  staple  articles  Men  could 
make  their  hats  of  rye  straw  and  their  shoes  of  cow  skin,  but 
lacked  the  means  or  ingenuity  to  manufacture  whiskey  and  tobac- 
co which  must  be  had  at  all  hazards.  Mr.  Cleveland  says  the  one 
is  a  "luxury,"  while  Mr.  Harrison  affirms  the  other  to  be  a  "ne- 
cessity." So  the  people  thought  then  and  will  perhaps  continue  to 
think  unless  some  Brown-Sequard  sort  of  a  fellow  compounds  a 
new  "Elixir  of  Life"  with  which  to  inoculate  them  with  a  dis- 
taste for  such  abominations. 

While  Mr.  Wells  was  engaged  in  making  money  to  buy  bet- 
ter breeds  of  stock  and  to  make  new  improvements  on  his  Ian  j 
his  wife  and  children  were  adding  each  year  a  new  field  to  the 
farm  and  forcing  the  soil  to  its  highest  productive  capacity.  Mr 
Wells  became  smitten  with  the  "gold  fever"  and  immediately 
prepared  an  outfit  for  a  trip  across  the  plains.  Four  wagons  were 
loaded  with  flour,  bacon,  whisky  and  tobacco,  the  three  latter 
were  of  his  own  production,  and  four  yoke  of  oxen,  mostly  of 
his  raising,  to  each  wagon.  This  little  train  in  the  hands  of  his 
four  eldest  sons  started  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1849,  f°r  the 
gold  mines  of  California.  The  following  spring  Leonard  I. 
Smith,  Mrs.  Wells'  youngest  brother,  accompanied  by  her  first 
son,  James  R.,  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  The  home  circle 
being  thus  broken  up  Mr.  Wells  thought  it  best  to  move  the  family 
to  town,  Rushville,  so  the  small  children  could  attend  school. 


CHAPTER    II. 

On  the  5th  day  of  June,  1851,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  were 
made  happy  by  the  appearance  of  a  fifteen  pound  baby  boy  whom 
they  christened  Charles  Knox  Polk  Wells.  The  family  now  con- 
sisted of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells,  two  daughters.  Sarah  and  Ruth 
and  three  sons,  Berriman,  John  and  (the  writer)  the  aforesaid 
Chas.  K.  Polk.  There  had  been  two  other  girls  and  a  boy,  but 
they  died  in  infancy. 

Town  life  did  not  agree  with  my  dear  mother,  whose  gentle 
spirit  wandered  over  mountain  and  valley  in  search  of  her  absent 
boy  whom  she  never  saw  or  heard  of  again  She  longed  to  be 
on  the  farm  where  she  might  handle  the  implements  that  he 
worked  with,  and  lean  on  the  gate  he  had  made  with  his  own 
hands ;  besides,  Berriman  and  Sarah  were  better  scholars  than 
their  teachers.  John  could  not  be  persuaded  or  hired  to  go  to 
school  nnd  Ruth  and  I  were  not  old  enough  to  attend  except  for 
the  purpose  of  amusing  the  other  pupils  which  we  did  some- 
times, consequently  mother  and  the  children  were  moved  back  to 
the  old  home  in  the  woods. 

When  father  settled  upon  this  land  it  was  covered  with  sev- 
eral growths  of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  ground  was  matted 
with  blueberries,  gooseberries,  wild  roses,  bullrushes  and  fox-tail 
which  is  and  has  ever  been  the  terror  of  Missouri  farmers.  Then 
came  the  delicious  paw-paw,  the  favorite  fruit  of  the  opossum 
which  our  Dutch  neighbor  persisted  in  calling  the  "slick-tailed 
tog,"  red  and  black  haws,  and  red  plums,  the  "hog"  plums,  mul- 
berry and  boxelder  were  next  in  the  line  of  march  heavenward: 
the  elm,  hickory  and  hackberry  looked  up  to  their  more  preten- 
tious neighbors  the  white  oak  and  black  walnut;  over  and  above 
all  waved  the  majestic  heads  of  the  cottonwood  and  sycamore 
and  in  those  monarchs  of  the  forest  the  sly  old  coon  made  his 
home,  fattened  on  the  new  corn  and  furnished  great  sport  for 
the  boys  on  "good  coon  nights."  In  this  forest  were  to  be  found 
also  the  large  timber  wolf,  saucy  wild-cat,  the  timid  hare  and  in- 
nvmerable  squirrels  and  various  species  of  the  feathered  trile 
from  the  pee-wee  up  to  the  wild  turkey.  In  short  this  was  a 
jungle  fit  for  the  Congo  Valley  and  the  idea  of  building  a  home 
in  it  would  have  been  to  the  prairie-raised  man  about  as  rational 


12  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

as  to  undertake  with  a  pocket  knife  to  hew  out  a  mansion  in  the 
Rock  of  Gibraltar,  but  to  the  man  of  Virginia  or  Kentucky  it  was 
the  best,  the  only  suitable  place.  So  my  father  thought,  and  he. 
being  a  Virginian  endowed  with  large  destructiveness,  combative- 
ness  and  continuity,  attacked  the  huge  task  with  a  vim  and  cour- 
age these  faculties  can  alone  supply.  A  square  containing  four 
acres  was  cleared  of  everything  but  a  few  small  shade  trees  and 
into  its  center  all  the  buildings  necessary  for  the  family  were 
erected,  and  the  plat  s>et  to  blue  grass.  Various  kinds  of  fruit 
trees  dotted  the  ground  at  regular  intervals,  while  each  fence 
corner  around  the  entire  enclosure  contained  a  peach  tree  and 
under  every  fourth  tree  set  a  stand  of  honey  bees.  The  hickory 
and  hackberry  timber  was  used  for  building  purposes,  while  the 
oak  and  walnut  were  split  into  rails  with  which  the  whole  planta- 
tion was  fenced.  But  every  tree  that  "brought  forth  not  good 
fruit  was  cut  down  and  cast  into  the  fire."  A  notch,  called 
"girdling,"  was  cut  through  the  sap  or  to  the  red  around  the  tree 
about  two  feet  above  the  ground,  which  process  killed  it.  The 
timber  subjected  to  this  treatment  in  the  spring  was,  during  the 
fall  and  winter,  cut  down  and  sawed  into  short  logs  which  to- 
gether with  the  tops  and  underbrush,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
several  yoke  of  oxen  were  piled  around  the  stumps  and  set  on 
fire  and  before  retiring  for  the  night  all  hands  turned  out  to 
"chunk  up  the  log  heaps."  Thus  the  work  of  destruction  con- 
tinued day  and  night  until  there  was  not  left  a  stump  or  even  a 
riding  switch  on  one  hundred  acres.  The  busy  workers  in  the 
nightly  scenes  of  song  and  fire  would  have  led  the  ancient  Greek 
or  Roman  gentleman  to  exclaim  in  a  voice  of  reverence  and  ad- 
miration, "Ah !  the  Holy  Virgins  are  engaged  in  replenishing  the 
sacred  fires  in  the  temple  of  Vesta." 

The  dwelling,  a  two  story  structure  with  two  rooms  above 
and  two  below,  with  all  attachment  for  kitchen  and  dining  room 
was  built  of  hewed  logs ;  in  fact  all  the  important  houses  were 
built  of  faced  timbers.  To  the  north  and  west  of  the  door-yard 
lay  the  corn,  hemp>,  tobacco  and  wheat  fields.  On  the  south  was 
the  one  hundred  acres  wood  pasture  with  its  carpet  of  rich  blue 
grass  on  which  were  kept  the  work  stock,  milch  cows  and  a  small 
herd  of  sheep.  A  pair  of  old  fashioned  draw-barrows  connected 
the  pasture  with  the  horse  lot  in  which  stood  the  corn  cribs,  stock 
stables  and  tobacco  barns.  Adjoining  this  lot  on  the  west  was  the 
garden,  the  pride  and  special  care  of  my  sweet  hearted  mother — 
hedged  about  with  gooseberry  and  currant  bushes,  blackberry  and 
raspberry  vines.  Here  grew  in  riotous  profusion  all  the  old- 
fashioned  flowers,  bright  marigolds,  larkspur,  deep  blue  bache- 
lor's buttons,  and  the  tall,  brilliant  hollyhocks,  the  lordlings  of 
the  place,  blood  red  poppies  and  roses  everywhere  nodding  in  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  13 

brteze;  here  also  grew  the  silver  skinned  onions,  sage  for  season 
ing  the  sausage,  tansy  and  mint  for  flavoring  the  "social  glass," 
'Tom  Thumb"  and  crowder  peas,  in  fact  everything  pertaining 
to  the  garden  grew  in  its  proper  place  and  season ;  all  divi JeJ<  off 
by  broad,  beautiful  flower-lined  walks  (which  were  covered  with 
white  gravel  from  the  sand-bars),  all  so  harmonious!)  blended  as 
to  stamp  it  as  the  work  of  delicate  hands,  guided  by  large  order 
and  ideality — such  gardens  are  enchanted  with  the  spell  of  by- 
gone times  and  familiar  faces,  a  place  for  day  dreams,  chivalrous 
sentiment  and  castle  building.  Over  the  gate  leading  from  the 
garden  into  the  door-yard,  and  over  mother's  bedroom  window 
was  carefully  twined  that  favorite  of  our  grandmother's  "Wash- 
ington's Bower,"  while  immediately  in  front  of  the  window  steed 
a  mulberry  tree  about  12  inches  in  diameter  and  about  its  base 
she  planted  morning-glory  seed  and  the  vines  spread  themselves 
all  over  its  branches.  This  tree  with  its  thousands  of  blue,  pink 
and  white  flowers  glistening  with  dew  drops  in  the  morning  sun 
was  the  loveliest  object  in  the  way  of  door-yard  ornamentation 
that  I  ever  beheld. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  father  built  of  hewed  logs  on  the  bank 
of  the  Missouri  a  large  warehouse  which  two  years  later  tumbled 
into  the  river.  Then  a  frame  building  was  erected  on  rollers  so 
that  it  could  be  drawn  back  to  a  safe  distance  as  the  river  drew 
near  by  cutting  the  bank  away.  A  wood  yard  was  next  started 
so  the  steamboats  could  get  good,  hard  wood  at  two  dollars  per 
cord.  The  warehouse  and  wood  yard  was  widely  known  as  the 
"Rushville  Landing,"  where  was  stored  all  the  produce  such  as 
hemp,  tobacco  and  bacon  of  the  surrounding  country  for  shipping 
to  St.  Louis.  The  wagon  road — leading  from  Rushville  to  the 
landing  about  two  miles  distant — wound  its  way  through  a  dense 
forest  to  the  corner  of  our  pasture,  thence  north  in  front  of  our 
house  to  the  warehouse.  During  the  boating  season  this  road 
was  lined  with  teams  hauling  produce  to,  and  goods  from,  the 
landing  to  the  inland  villages.  Little  sister  Ruth  and  myself  soon 
became  great  favorites  with  the  teamsters,  who  bought  her  candy, 
beads,  coral  rings  and  bright  colored  ribbon  for  her  hair,  for  all 
of  which  she  sang  sweet  little  songs ;  while  I  was  the  happy  re- 
cipient of  many  sets  of  "bull's-eye"  marbles,  large  red  apples,  tops 
and  other  toys,  that  delight  a  well  regulated  boy  and  for  which 
I  was  expected  to  (good-naturedly)  torment  and  criticise  every- 
body except  the  donor. 

Frequently  teamsters  from  Old  Sparta  and  DeKalb  were 
obliged  to  stay  over  night  with  us  and  on  such  occasions  were 
entertained  with  music  and  dancing.  Berriman  played  the  fiddle 
and  John  accompanied  on  the  old  banjo  while  Ruth  and  I  danced 
the  "tobacco-hill-shuffle."  At  this  time  father  was  quite  wealthy. 


14  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

kept  fast  horses,  fighting  cocks  and  a  pack  of  hounds,  all  of 
which,  together  with  my  mother's  great  hospitality,  loving  spirit 
and  brilliant  conversational  powers,  coupled  with  the  willingness 
and  the  ability  of  her  children  to  attract  and  amuse  visitors,  served 
to  give  our  family  a  widespread  reputation  for  politeness  and  un- 
affected generosity.  And  this  popularity  contributed  to  father 
gaining  a  controlling  influence  over  a  large  majority  of  Rush 
Township,  which,  together  with  his  fondness  for  making  stump 
speeches  in  behalf  of  his  favorite  candidate,  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  "office-seekers,"  who  we're  not  slow  in  courting  his  politi- 
cal preferment.  Such  men  during  the  electioneering  season  per- 
sisted in  calling  my  father  "Colonel,"  and  who  were,  if  of  his 
choice,  cordially  invited  to  visit  the  farm.  If  not  to  his  liking, 
they  were  obliged  to  extend  the  invitation  themselves;  at  all 
events  a  visit  to  the  farm  was  inevitable  and  during  the  stay  of 
these  aspiring  gentlemen  I  was  given  a  nice  share  of  attention. 
They  patted  me  on  the  head,  laughed  heartily  at  everything  I  said 
or  did,  and  were  unstinted  in  their  praise  whether  deservedly  or 
not.  On  one  occasion  a  candidate  for  Governor  of  Missouri  ac- 
companied by  other  gentlemen  visited  the  farm,  and  almost  the 
first  thing  he  did  after  entering  the  house  was  to  take  me  on  his 
knee.  He  looked  me  over  closely,  gently  stroked  my  black  hair 
and  then  turning  to  my  father  said,  "Colonel,  this  is  a  promising 
lad  and  he  has  a  Webster  head,  therefore  you  ought  to  give  him 
a  first-class  education."  "I  shall  spare  neither  money  or  pains  in 
the  accomplishment  of  that  end,"  was  my  father's  hearty  reply. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  call  in  question  the  veracity  of  the 
once  beloved  Chief  Executive  of  my  native  state,  yet  I  must  say 
that  my  head  has  undergone  a  great  change  or  else  the  gentle- 
man was  a  conscious  flatterer  or  wholly  ignorant  of  the  shape  of 
Mr.  Webster's  head,  which,  if  the  picture  I  have  of  the  great 
statesman  is  a  true  likeness  of  him,  was  as  unlike  my  head  as  the 
apple  is  unlike  the  pear. 

The  compliment,  however,  whether  genuine  or  affected,  was 
unnecessary  in  as  much  as  father  had  already  decided  to  cast  his 
vote  and  influence  for  the  gentleman.  Receiving  so  much  of  this 
sort  of  praise  and  attention,  and  the  fact  that  I  could  walk  and 
talk  before  I  was  one  year  old,  made  me  a  "precocious  boy"  in- 
deed. 

The  Missouri,  which  was  and  is  constantly  changing  its 
channel  by  cutting  away  the  bank  on  one  side  and  making  a  cor- 
responding fill  or  sand  bar  on  the  opposite  side,  had  steadily  en- 
croached on  the  bank  necessitating  the  moving  back  of  the  ware- 
house each  year,  until  it  now  (1856)  stood  on  the  corner  of  fath- 
er's land,  only  a  furlong  or  two  from  the  dwelling  in  which  we 
Hved. 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  15 

There  was  at  this  time,  owing  to  the  gold  excitement,  a  steady 
flow  of  emigration  west.  The  river  was  lined  with  steamboats 
and  each  one  loaded  to  the  extent  of  its  capacity  with  passengers 
for  Omaha  where  they  engaged  passage  across  the  plains  with 
some  "ox  train"  or  "mule  outfit."  The  wood  yard — my  mother's 
enterprise — was  kept  well  supplied  with  choice,  dry,  hard  wood 
full  measure;  hence  the  boat  captains  made  the  "Rushville  Land- 
ing" a  point  for  "wooding  up."  The  "deck  hands,"  too  had  a 
special  interest  in  stopping  here  for  wood  as  mother  never  failed 
to  send  Ruth  and  myself  out  to  the  landing  with  buckets  full  of 
cold  sweet  milk  which  we  gave  to  therm  while  taking  on  wood 
and,  when  watermelons  were  ripe,  brother  John  appeared  on  the 
scene  with  a  skid  load  and  contributed  them  among  "the  poor 
tired  fellows,"  as  my  tender  hearted  mother  called  them,  and 
who,  when  the  boat  left  the  shore,  united  their  voices  in  singing 
"The  Queen  of  the  Wood  Yards,"  a  song  composed  in  honor  of 
her  many  kindnesses  to  them. 

While  the  deck  hands  were  engaged  in  putting  off,  or  taking 
on  freight,  or  wood,  as  the  case  required,  the  boat  officers  and  as 
many  passengers  as  desired  went  out  to  the  house  to  see  my 
father's  fine  stock  and  mother's  well  kept  garden.  Father — when 
at  home  (and  in  his  absence  I  acted  as  guide) — would  first  lead 
them  into  the  barn  lot  to  see  the  great  stallion  "Black  Hawk,"  the 
fat  hogs,  sheep,  and  the  large  work  oxen  "Polk"  and  "Dallas," 
which  brother  John  had  trained  to  lie  down,  also  broke  them  to 
ride.  I  rode  everything,  from  the  fat  hogs  up  to  the  stallion,  made 
Old  Dallas  lie  down  that  I  might  get  on  him,  make  him  get  up. 
and  then,  standing  erect  on  his  broad  back,  rode  him  around  the 
lot  like  a  circus  clown.  Sometimes  the  old  ox  in  brushing  at  the 
flies  would  strike  me  with  his  heavy  tail  and  send  me  whirling 
from  his  back.  I  usually  lit  on  my  feet,  which,  when  the  visitors 
saw  I  was  not  hurt,  caused  a  great  laugh.  Having  carefully  ex- 
amined and  thoroughly  praised  the  stock  and  barns  the  visitors 
were  next  led  into  the  garden,  which  elicited  much  praise  and  ad- 
miration. Father,  too,  was  unsparing  in  his  remarks  on  the  beauty 
and  arrangement  of  the  various  vegetables  and  flowers  and  mani- 
fested as  much  pride  in  showing  the  garden  as  he  did  in  extolling 
the  fine  qualities  of  his  "blooded  stock."  The  party  now  passes  un- 
der "Washington's  Bower"  into  the  door-yard;  here  I  would 
arouse  the  game  cocks  and  battle  with  them  until  they  were  in 
good  fighting  trim,  then  dash  in  among  the  visitors,  out  again  in- 
to the  house,  leaving  them1  to  fight  or  run.  After  receiving  a 
stab  or  two  in  the  legs  with  the  spurs  of  the  little  warriors  they 
invariably  chose  the  latter  alternative.  Once  in  the  house  they  felt 
safe  and  laughted  heartily  over  their  defeat  while  the  cocks  crowed 
just  as  loudly  over  their  victory.  By  this  time  mother  had  com- 


1(5  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

pleted  her  preparations  for  receiving  the  company  by  spreading  a 
lunch  consisting  of  cake,  pie,  cold  sweet  milk,  "still  beer,"  and  a 
bottle  of  "old  rye,"  in  the  center  of  the  table  for  those  who  de- 
sired it,  and  there  were  few  men  in  those  days  who  did  not  drink 
whisky,  and  the  person  who  refused  to  drink  the  "Mint  Julep" 
that  my  mother  prepared  was  regarded  as  a  "rara-avis."  After 
lunch  the  callers  were  conducted  into  the  large  sitting  room  where 
they  were  amused  for  a  few  minutes  with  music  and  dancing, 
Ruth  and  I  sang  for  them  such  old  songs  as  "Chicken  Pie,"  "Com- 
ing Through  the  Rye,"  "Old  Dan  Tucker,"  "Nellie  Gray,"  "Poor 
Lost  Indian,"  and  "Lazy  Jackson,"  usually  closing  the  entertain- 
men  with  the  clown  song,  "I  kissed  Josh  and  Josh  kissed  me,  as 
we  went  bobbing  around,  as  we  went  b-o-b-b-i-n-g — a-r-o-u-n-d." 
Ruth  was  a  natural  "mimic,"  and  could  draw  out  the  last  two 
words — "bobbing  around" — with  such  artistic  effect  that  she 
never  failed  being  greeted  with  hearty  applause  and  a  shower  of 
silver  coin. 

At  this  time  we  were  in  a  most  prosperous  and  happy  condi- 
tion. No  family  enjoyed  life  in  a  greater  measure  than  did  ours 
We  had  everything  that  heart  could  wish  for  in  the  way  of  good 
things  to  eat  and  wear ;  there  was  not,  however,  much  else  to  care 
for  except  Yankee  Robinson's  Show  which  annually  visited  our 
part  of  the  country. 

In  the  fall  we  were  all  out  in  the  woods  gath- 
ering grapes,  when  a  storm  came  upon  us.  Dark, 
heavy  clouds  hung  in  the  tree  tops,  the  most  deaf- 
ening peals  of  thunder  greeted  our  ears,  and  the  rain  fell  in 
torrents  upon  us,  and  the  whole  elements  were  ablaze  with  God's 
mighty  fire.  We  sought  shelter  under  the  largest  trees,  the  most 
natural,  and  certainly  the  most  dangerous  thing  to  do  in  the  midst 
of  a  storm.  Ruth  and  I  were  standing  by  father,  Berriman,  John 
and  Sarah  stood  together,  while  dear  mother,  alone,  leaned  against 
a  large,  forked  elm.  I  was  on  my  way  to  her  when  the  tree  was 
split  from  the  fork  to  the  ground  by  a  bolt  of  lightning  and  mother 
fell  forward  as  if  struck  dead.  She  was  gently  conveyed  to  the 
house  and  the  doctor  summoned.  When  he  arrived  she  was  sit- 
ting up  in  bed,  and  said,  "I  will  be  all  right  in  a  few  hours."  The 
doctor  thought  so  too,  and  returned  to  town.  Next  morning 
father  had  scarcely  reached  his  place  of  business  when  mother 
came  running  from  the  barn  to  the  house,  fell  headlong  into  the 
room  and  expired  almost  instantly — thus  I  lost  my  best  and  dear- 
est friend.  My  mother  was  proud  of  her  Indian  blood  which 
doubtless  heightened  her  sympathies  for,  and  increased  her  de- 
sire to  relieve,  as  far  as  possible,  the  wants  and  suffering  of  the 
Indian  families  living  near  her.  She  gave  them  much  provision 
and  clothing ;  and  brother  Berriman  rarely  went  to  mill  without  an 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  17 

extra  sack  of  corn  to  be  converted  into  meal  for  "Old  Ned's" 
family.  Our  white  neighbors  were  scarce,  so  Ruth  and  I  were 
obliged,  for  the  most  part,  to  accept  the  Indian  children  for  our 
playfellows.  We  built  "Wicky-Ups"  of  paw-paw  poles  and  elm 
bark ;  hunted  the  hare  and  opossum,  painted  our  faces  with  poke- 
berry  juice,  had  our  feasts  and  war  dances  just  the  same  as  "Big 
Injuns."  This  great  fun  and  friendly  intercourse  with  the  In- 
dians was,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  at  least,  cut  short  by  the 
death  of  my  dear  mother.  She  having  been  laid  to  rest,  father 
turned  the  farm  over  to  the  boys  and  took  me  with  him  to  town. 

Father  now,  when  not  otherwise  engaged,  amused  himself 
by  exercising  me  in  the  manly  art  of  self  defense,  and  by  giving 
me  lessons  in  "Poker"  and  "Seven-up."  Being  naturally  inclined 
toward  the  funny  and  reckless  things  in  life,  I  soon  became  an 
expert  in  the  first  law  of  nature — self  defense — and  quite  profi- 
cient in  handling  the  cards ;  and  was  up  to  the  age  of  fourteen 
at  which  time  the  latter  was  abandoned.  I  was  then  a  creature 
of  impulse,  the  sport  of  chance,  and  the  victim  of  my  own  imag- 
inations and  uncontrollable  sensations,  displaying  at  times  a 
heroic  and  to  some  extent  a  poetic  temperament.  There  is  some- 
thing admirable  in  such  a  compound  of  emotions.  Yet  the  one 
possessing  such  a  character  is  to  be  pitied  for  it  will,  most  likely, 
lead  himi  as  it  has  me  into  serious  trouble  unless  counter-balanced 
by  a  strong  will  and  an  unswerving  purpose  to  do  right,  "though 
the  heavens  fall."  However,  there  are  phases  in  life  that  render 
the  doing  of  right,  at  all  times,  an  extremely  difficult  thing  to  ac- 
complish. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1858  father  began  courting  the  Widow 
Fry,  who  lived  near  St.  Joseph,  and,  as  my  presence  was  not 
deemed  necessary  to  his  success,  I  was  sent  back  to  the  farm, 
which,  together  with  the  landing,  my  brothers  had  conducted 
about  the  same  as  heretofore  stated,  with  the  exception  that 
steamboat  passengers  were  not  encouraged  to  visit  the  house.  But 
it  was  necessary  for  brother  Berriman  to  go  upon  the  boat  to 
transact  business  with  the  captain,  so  the  children  usually  ac- 
companied him  to  the  landing  at  least. 

Sister  Ruth  had  become  quite  a  ban  joist,  while  I  had  learned 
to  play  the  violin  remarkably  well  for  one  of  my  age  and  town  life 
had  greatly  increased  my  self  reliance,  therefore  I  was  not  long 
in  persuading  Ruth  to  join  me  in  a  visit  to  a  boat  with  our  instru- 
ments, which  when  the  path  was  once  opened,became  a  regular 
thing  and  while  the  boys  were  in  the  clerk's  office  giving  and 
taking  receipts  for  freight  or  receiving  money  for  their  work  we 
were  in  the  cabin  amusing  the  passengers  with  music  and  danc- 
ing. We  rendered  with  pleasing  effect  such  old  pieces  as  "Sally 
Gooden,"  "Money  Musk,"  "Drunken  Hickups,"  "Devil's  Dream," 


18  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

"Leather  Breeches"  and  "Bald  'Possum" — these  were  everywhere 
the  favorite  tunes  in  "Ante-Bellum"  days. 

Our  Indian  neighbors  were  still  living  near  us,  and  when  a 
boat  landed  they,  with  a  score  of  owr  former  playmates,  appeared 
with  willow  baskets  and  beaded  moccasins  to  sell  to  the  passen- 
gers. Having  disposed  of  the  ware,  they  .retired  a  few  paces  and 
seated  themselves  on  the  ground.  Ruth  and  I  sang  and  danced 
and  having  received  our  reward  withdrew  from  the  boat.  I 
would  then  enter  the  warehouse,  strip  off  my  clothes,  tie  on  my 
breech-clout,  ready  for  a  swim.  The  Indian  boys  were  not 
obliged  to  go  through  this  preparation  as  they  only  needed  to  let 
go  of  the  corners  of  their  blankets  to  fit  them  for  the  water. 
When  I  emerged  from  the  warehouse  they  would  drop  their 
blankets  and  then  with  a  shout  we  would  dash  down  the  stage 
plank  in  single  file  across  the  deck  and  plunge  head  first  into  the 
river.  Here  we  would  play  at  "ducking"  until  the  boat  started, 
and  then  float  on  the  waves  like  so  many  corks.  On  another  oc- 
casion a  boat  bound  for  Omaha  stopped  at  the  landing  and  while 
Berriman  was  attending  to  his  business  Ruth  and  I  were  enter- 
taining the  passengers.  We  were  playing  the  "Poor  Lost  In- 
dian"— a  family  favorite  since  the  death  of  our  mother,  therefore 
we  always  entered  heart  and  soul  into  the  rendition  of  this 
pathetic  piece  when  a  noise  as  if  someone  had  fallen  downstairs 
attracted  our  attention  and  caused  us  to  cease  playing.  The  next 
moment  a  tall,  handsome  young  fellow  rushed  from  his  room  into 
the  cabin  and  exclaimed  in  a  voice  full  of  emotion,  "Whence 
came  that  sweet  music  ?"  The  gentleman  had  evidently  been 
reading  or  dreaming  of  the  siren  whose  music  is  of  such  mar- 
velous sweetness  that  they  are  first  enabled  to  captivate  those 
sailing  near  their  island,  and  then  destroy  them.  Thinking  the 
boat's  crew  and  passengers  were  under  a  spell  of  enchantment, 
he  was  first  charmed  and  then  suddenly  became  apprehensive  of 
what  the  result  might  be.  A  lady,  however,  noting  his  perplex- 
ity, dispelled  his  fears  of  evil  consequences  by  inviting  him  for- 
ward to  investigate  for  himself  the  source  of  the  music  he  had 
heard.  He  immediately  stopped  in  front  of  Ruth,  and  scrutinizing 
her  face  and  banjo,  said,  "My  little  miss,  please  favor  me  with 
your,  or  at  least  my,  favorite  piece,  'Poor  Nellie  Gray.'  She 
sang  it  most  sweetly,  accompanying  her  voice  on  the  banjo.  He 
was  charmed  by  the  music  and  highly  pleased  with  my  sister. 
Presently  I  began  sawing  on  my  fiddle  which  I  held  in  the  style 
of  the  Italian  boy.  For  a  moment  he  stared  at  me,  then  turning 
to  Ruth  asked,  "Is  this  little  Italian  your  brother?"  "He  is  my 
brother,  but  not  an  Italian,  sir."  She  put  such  emphasis  on  the 
last  word  as  to  cause  the  young  man  to  laugh  heartily,  and  to 
exclaim,  "Good  Heavens,  what  a  spunky  little  duck  you  are." 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS     19 

Ever  after  this  she  went  by  the  name  of  "Duck,"  but.  I  shall  con- 
tinue to  call  her  Ruth.  He  next  ventured  to  ask,  "What  is  your 
brother's  name?"  "Charles  K.  Polk  Wells.  He  was  named  after 
James  K.  Polk  of  Tennessee."'  Answering  this  question  put  Ruth 
in  a  good  humor  for  she  as  well  as  myself  regarded  it  an  honor 
to  bear  the  name  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  A  big 
name  is  pleasant,  usually  makes  one  vain,  however,  and  at 
all  events  amounts  to  but  little  in  the  way  of  saving  one  from 
temptation  or  of  helping  himself  to  resist  it.  The  next  question 
put  to  my  sister  was,  "Is  this  banjo  the  only  instrument  you 
have?"  "No,  sir,  we  have  two  violins  and  an  accordion."  "Do 
you  play  the  violin?"  "Not  yet,  but  my  sister  and  brothers  do." 
The  young  man  brought  from  his  stateroom  a  handsomely 
bound  note  book  and  a  silver  mounted  guitar,  which  after  playing 
excellently  two  or  three  pieces  he  presented  to  Ruth.  The  bell 
rang,  the  stage  plank  was  drawn  in  and  the  boat  swung  out  from 
the  shore.  Some  one  informed  the  captain  that  I  was  still  on  the 
boat.  "Never  mind,  he'll  get  off  when  it  suits  him,"  said  the 
officer.  The  scene  in  the  cabin  prevented  my  taking  the  usual 
collection  and  the  captain,  knowing  it,  called  an  old  negro  to 
"pat"  while  I  danced  the  "Tobacco-hill-shuffle,"  and  then  "cut 
the  Pigeon  wing,"  in  old  Virginia  style  which  pleased  Mr.  Taylor 
the  young  man,  not  a  little,  who  said,  "Well,  Captain,  since  I  have 
rewarded  the  girl  for  musical  talent  I  suppose  it  is  right  that  I 
should  give  this  little  hero  something."  He  shook  my  hand  • 
warmly,  gave  me  a  beautiful  penknife  and  the  passengers  filled 
my  "weezel-skin"  purse  with  silver  coin.  By  this  time  the  boat 
was  some  distance  from  the  shore  and  above  the  landing,  the 
Captain  said  to  me,  "Git  now,  you  little  rascal,  or  I'll  take  you  to 
Council  Bluffs  and  sell  you  to  the  Mormons."  Another  instant 
and  I  had  disappeared  over  the  side  of  the  boat  and  amid  hearty 
cheers  I  swam  toward  the  landing. 


CHAPTER     III. 

In  November  my  father  married  the  Widow  Fry  heretofore 
mentioned.  She  had  five  children,  four  boys  and  one  girl;  the 
three  eldest  boys  were  grown,  and  the  fourth,  Joe,  was  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  the  girl,  Sis,  was  ten  years  old.  The  two  latter 
were  brought  home  with  our  new  mother  who  was  a  large,  power- 
ful and  warm  hearted  woman,  in  fact  she  was  of  so  warm  a  dis- 
position that  the  atmosphere  about  the  old  home  became  so  heated 
that  my  brothers  found  it  necessary  to  emigrate  to  a  more  con- 
genial clime.  Sister  Sarah  soon  married  and  left  home  also,  thus 
leaving  little  Ruth  and  myself  to  hoe  a  row  that  proved  to  be 
an  unpleasant  one.  A  change  was  soon  effected.  Our  hunting 
and  playing  with  the  Indian  children  was  strictly  forbidden.  Our 
music  too  was  interdicted ;  in  fact  our  new  mother  interfered  with 
everything  we  had  been  accustomed  to,  besides  her  children  for 
awhile  lorded  it  over  us.  They  having  spent  several  years  at 
school  in  St.  Joseph  were  fairly  well  educated,  and  were  especially 
fond  of  reading  ancient  history  and  solving  mathematical  prob- 
lems, in  a  knowledge  of  which  we  were  deficient,  except  the  little 
gathered  from  father's  reading  of  Gibbon's  "Decline  and  Fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire,"  and  the  ability  to  repeat  by  heart  the  mul- 
tiplication table,  which  we  learned  from  the  lips  of  our  own  dear 
mother.  We  rather  looked  up  to  them  on  account  of  their  superior 
knowledge  in  these  matters,  and  loved  to  sit  near  and  listen  to 
their  reading  Virgil  and  Homer.  This  self  acknowledged  inferi- 
ority led  them  to  look  upon  us  as  their  servants.  We  implicitly 
obeyed  them  and  meekly  submitted  to  their  taunts  about  our  ig- 
norance and  "countrified  ways."  They  had  no  words  of  praise 
or  commendation  when  we  did  things  to  please  them,  but  when 
we  happened  to  do  wrong — which  frequently  occurred  since  they 
were  hard  to  suit  and  constantly  on  the  alert  for  something  about 
which  to  complain — they  hesitated  not  to  scold  us.  "Familiarity 
breeds  contempt,"  and  tyranny,  hatred  and  indifference;  hence  we 
drifted  further  and  further  apart  as  time  progressed.  When 
threats  and  scoldings  no  longer  sufficed  to  insure  compliance 
with  their  demands,  or  to  appease  their  wrath,  corporal  punish- 
ment was  resorted  to.  The  atmosphere  seemed  to  hatch  excuses 
for  mother  to  whip  us ;  Joe  and  Sis  pinched  our  arms  and  slapped 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


our  faces  whenever  they  chose  to  do  so.  We  were  taught  to  re- 
spect the  aged  and  to  obey  those  older  than  ourselves,  and  father 
id  given  special  orders  to  comply  with  all  the  wishes  of  our  new 
mother.  We  tried  to  follow  father's  instructions  but  compliance 
seemed  to  add  new  wants  and,  of  course,  increased  the  demands. 
Presently,  however,  this  unjust  treatment  awakened  the  voice  of 
reason  which  marshalled  in  battle  array  the  instinct  of  self-preser- 
vation and  justice,  so  we  began  to  meditate  on  the  situation.  We 
asked  oui  selves,  "Who  are  these  children  that  we  should  serve 
them  and  submit  to  their  indignities?  Are  they  any  better  than 
we  are?  Who  gave  them  authority  over  us?  What  right  have 
they  to  command  us  without  a  reasonable  protest  on  our  part?" 
This  sort  of  reasoning  resulting  in  our  resolving  to  defend  our 
bodies,  and  protect  our  rights  at  all  hazards.  An  opportunity  to 
test  the  firmness  of  our  resolution  was  not  long  delayed,  a  hand 
to  hand  fight  ensued  and  we  were  severely  punished. 

Ruth  and  I,  previous  to  the  arrival  of  our  stepmother  and 
her  children,  never  had  a  cross  word,  or  the  slightest  ill  feeling 
toward  any  one.  We  were  the  pets  of  the  familv  and  neighbors 
and  were  strangers  to  acts  of  violence  and  feelings  of  hatred.  It 
is  true  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  saying  naughty  things  to,  and 
throwing  sticks  at  the  teamsters  but  this  was  done  in  fun  and  was 
so  understood  by  all  concerned.  Father  and  mother  had  always 
addressed  Ruth  and  myself  as,  "My  little  man"  and  "My  dear." 
They  were  as  dignified  in  our  presence  and  as  courteous  to  us  as 
if  we  were  English  potentates  on  a  visit.  Father,  or  anyone  of 
the  family  occupying  his  place  at  the  table,  always  filled  his  place 
(old  Virginia  style)  and  exchanged  it  for  ones  with  the  same 
degree  of  politeness  that  he  showed  the  Governor  of  the  State. 
Had  I  been  permitted  to  remain  in  this  atmosphere  of  courtesy, 
kindness  and  parental  consideration,  I  should,  no  doubt,  have  con- 
tinued to  be  of  a  gentle,  sweet,  lovable  disposition;  but  the  en- 
vironments changed  and  I  changed  with  them. 

I  was  born  like  all  other  children  with  a  latent  germ  of  sav- 
ajery  in  my  little  breast,  consequently  the  loss  of  a  mother's  care 
and  love,  and  a  father's  pleasant  greeting  and  protection  on  the 
one  hand,  and  cruel  treatment  and  opposition  on  the  other  caused 
the  beastly  in  my  nature  to  rapidly  develop.  Thence  forward,  the 
tiger  being  loose,  the  pinching  and  face  slapping  —  which  hither- 
to had  been  permitted  without  ill  feeling  on  our  part  since  they 
were  accompanied  with,  "Oh  !  I  was  only  in  fun  and  didn't  mean 
to  hurt  you"  —  were  resented  with  a  vengeance  and  to  the  utmost 
of  our  ability.  We  became  stubborn  and  unfaithful  servants,  con- 
stantly plotting  mischief  and  fought  the  foe  at  every  turn  in  the 
road.  We  were  sometimes  roughly  handled  but  whipping  us  was 
out  of  the  question  and  to  conquer  us  quite  as  impossible,  since 


22 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

we  had,  as  it  were,  imbibed  the  spirit  and  pluck  of  OUT  game  cocks 
and  like  therm,  though  temporarily  defeated  were  always  ready 
for  another  battle. 

The  road  this  spring  (1859)  was  lined  with  teams  hauling 
produce  to  the  landing.  Ruth  and  I  disobeyed  orders  by  riding 
with  some  jolly  fellows  to  the  warehouse,  or  becoming  weary  of 
hearing  the  "don't  do  that,"  "stop  your  noise,"  and  "you  must 
not  handle  those  books,"  we  would  make  a  visit  to  the  hut  of 
"Old  Ned" — a  stalwart  brave  of  the  Kickapoos — and  have  a  romp 
with  the  Indian  boys  and  girls.  Mother,  not  being  satisfied  with 
punishing  us  nor  with  her  wholesale  prohibition,  put  a  stop  to 
our  music  by  destroying  the  strings  of  the  instruments.  This  ar- 
bitrary treatment  and  unjust  inhibition  of  everything  dear  to  us 
served  only  to  increase  our  desire  to  say,  or  do,  something  which 
would  aggravate  our  persecutors.  Ruth  was  commander  in  chief 
of  our  force  and  her  resource  of  comparison,  vituperation  and  in- 
ventive might  well  have  been  the  envy  of  Senator  Ingalls.  When 
piqued,  and  not  feeling  especially  angry  but  desirous  of  doing 
something  really  exasperating,  she  would  seize  a  clabboard. 
broom,  or  anything  that  could  be  used  as  a  "make  believe"  guitar 
then  singing  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  keeping  time  the  while  by 
striking  her  finger  nails  against  the  improvised  instrument,  while 
I  accompanied  her  on  my  corn-stalk  fiddle.  This  performance, 
though  amusing  to  any  one  else,  put  the  Kentucky  blood  into  a 
perfect  rage. 

Father  rarely  visited  the  farm,  and  when  he  did  his  stay  was 
so  short,  mother  so  good  to  us  and  remained  so  close  to  him  that 
we  had  no  opportunity  to  tell  him  of  our  troubles.  One1  day  he 
appeared  at  the  warehouse,  having  come  down  the  river  bank  by 
a  bridle  path  instead  of  following  the  road  past  the  house  as  usual, 
so  that  mother  was  not  aware  of  his  arrival.  We  had  just  had 
an  encounter  with  the  enemy,  in  which.  Ruth  and  I  were  badly 
hurt  and  were  on  the  barn  shed  lamenting  our  sad  fate,  when 
father  was  seen  riding  up  to  the  landing.  We  hastened  to  him 
and  he  patiently  listened  to  our  "tale  of  woe,"  but  instead  of  sym- 
pathizing with  us  and  trying  to  heal  our  bruises  and  wounded 
feelings  whipped  us  both  and  drove  us  back  home.  We  were  too 
badly  hurt  not  by  the  punishment  (though  in  itself  severe  enough) 
to  cry  at  first,  but  on  the  way  to  the  house  our  anguished  souls 
found  relief  in  tears,  for  where  we  expected  succor  we  received 
only  stripes,  and  threats  of  much  worse  treatment  should  we  re- 
peat the  offense  of  claiming  paternal  protection.  The  most  nat- 
ural inference  to  be  drawn  from  this  extraordinary  conduct  on 
the  part  of  our  father — extraordinary  because  it  was  the  first  time 
he  ever  whipped  or  spoke  angry  to  us — would  be  that  Ruth  and 
I  were  completely  subdued.  Nay,  verily,  it  served  to  increase  our 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  23 

energy  and  to  strengthen  our  determination  not  to  be  abused  with 
impunity,  but  I  draw  the  veil  of  charity  and  silence  over  the 
events  that  followed  and  simply  say  that  the  miserable  warfare 
was  brought  to  a  close  by  the  family  moving  to  Rushville. 

:  This  village  owes  its  beginning  to  William  Henderson  who 
erected  on  Mud  Creek  a  water  power  saw  mill  of  the  "Muly" 
type,  i.  €.,  the  saw  was  a  straight,  stiff  blade,  making  a  perpendic- 
ular stroke.  All  the  settlers  within  a  radius  of  a  dozen  miles  pat- 
ronized this  mill.  In  the  winter  they  hauled  their  logs  on  "liz- 
ards"—tree  forks  which  served  the  same  purpose  as  the  modern 
bob-sled — to  mill,  while  the  ground  was  frozen  or  covered  .with 
snow.  During  the  summer  Saturday  was  the  all  important  day 
(grist  day),  which  usually  lasted  over  Sunday  and  sometimes 
until  Monday  morning.  While  the  grists  were  being  ground  the 
men  gathered  in  groups  under  the  beautiful  shade  trees  near  at 
hand  to  discuss  the  neighborhood  affairs,  such  as  the 
condition  of  the  hemp  and  tobacco  crops,  the  latest  wedding  and 
its  charivari,  cock-fighting,  shooting  matches,  log-rollings,  corn 
huskings  and  house  raisings  were  topics  of  absorbing  interest  to 
those  hardy  pioneers  of  Rush  Township,  so  called  by  reason  of 
the  immense  growth  of  "bull  rushes,"  which  grew  to  the  height  of 
ten  or  twelve  feet  literally  covering  the  river  bottoms.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  little  mill  was  a  guarantee  of  the  success  of  the  black- 
smith shop  in  which  the  farmers  could  get  their  "bull-tongues" 
(single  shovel  cultivators)  and  turning  plows  sharpened.  The 
grocery  came  next,  then  the  hemp  press  with  its  lofty  screw  in 
which  the  hemp  was  pressed  into  bales  for  shipping  to  St.  Louis. 
It  was  at  this  period  (1844)  of  Rushville's  development  that 
father  started  his  sixty  gallon  still  and  tobacco  press,  but  now 
(1859)  the  population  of  Rushville  was  between  twelve  and  fif- 
teen hundred;  the  water  power  saw  mill,  "cross  roads"  grocery, 
blacksmith  shop  and  single  hemp  press  had  given  place  to  a 
splendid  steam  circular  saw  and  flour  mill  combined,  seven  hemp 
presses,  half  a  dozen  blacksmith  shops  and  instead  of  father's 
one  sixty  gallon  still  he  was  operating  three  one  hundred  and 
sixty  gallon  stills.  The  log  grocery  had  been  superceded  by  a 
dozen  general  stores  in  which  could  be  found  anything  in  the  way 
of  hardware  from  a  cambric  needle  to  a  sorghum  mill,  and  in  the 
line  of  dry  goods  anything  from  a  "shouting  Methodist  minis- 
ter's" white  cravat  up  to  silk  and  satin.  And  there  were  several 
saloons,  three  shoe  shops,  a  photograph  gallery,  a  lawyer,  several 
doctors,  a  drug  store  and  a  confectionery  whose  proprietor,  Mr. 
Schultze,  was  very  friendly  toward  me  for  awhile.  I  could  not 
pass  the  candy  store  until  my  pockets  were  filled  with  good  things 
Being  used  to  receiving  such  presents  I  took  no  notice  of  it  nor 
thought  of  questioning  the  motives  of  their  generous  donor,  but 


24  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

one  day  I  stopped  in  front  of  the  store  and  was  surprised  to  hear 
Mr.  Schultze  call  out,  "Oh !  you  Polk  Wells,  you  vas  von  schwind- 
ler."  The  trouble  was  that  Mr.  Schultze  was  in  love  with  a  Miss 
Cunningham  whose  brother  John  was  an  exact  image  of  myself 
and  the  sweetmeats  given  to  me  were  intended  for  him  in  order 
that  he  might  speak  a  good  word  to  "Doozen"  (Susan),  for  the 
Dutch  candy  maker. 

The  old  log  school  house  had  been  torn  down  and  a  neat 
frame  building  erected  at  the  base  of  "Grave  Yard  Hill."  This 
was  a  one  story  structure,  unpainted  and  without  ornament  of  any 
kindj  long,  high  backed  wooden  benches  served  as  seats  for  the 
pupils  and  worshippers  as  this  building  was  not  only  a  place  for 
learning  worldly  wisdom  but  in  it  was  dealt  out  spiritual  food 
with  a  lavish  hand.  Preachers  rode  what  were  called  "circuits," 
so  that  each  Sunday  in  the  month  we  had  a  different  Minister 
who  proclaimed  the  gospel  from  a  different  point  of  view  to  that 
of  his  predecessor.  The  Second  Adventist  told  us  "the  Savior 
would  soon  come  to  claim  his  own ;"  the  Campbellite  declared  that 
"the  righteous  should  inherit  the  earth  and  the  fullness  thereof ;" 
the  Hardshell  Baptist  terrified  us  by  saying,  "There  are  infants 
in  hell  not  a  span  long ;"  and  Uncle  Joe  Divorce,  a  representative 
ol  "The  Shouting  Methodist,"  consigned  the  ungodly  to  a  "laKv 
of  fire  and  brimstone  prepared  for  them  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world." 

My  step-mother  was  handsome,  a  charming  conversation- 
alist, a  model  housekeeper,  an  excellent  cook,  and  for  a  time  kept 
her  promise  to  treat  Ruth  and  myself  more  humanely.  During 
this  armistice,  Joe  arid  I  became  warm  friends  and  when  occasion 
required  would  fight  for  each  other.  The  previous  winter's  train- 
ing I  received  from  my  father  in  the  manly  art  of  self-defense, 
coupled  with  my  late  conflicts  with  Joe,  had  so  agitated  the  fac- 
ulty of  combativeness  that  my  once  gentle,  playful  disposition 
gave  way  to  a  pugnacious  feeling  and  in  consequence  I  was  for 
some  weeks  continually  fighting — I  had  many  a  hard  tussel  with 
the  boys  before  the  title  of  "Leader"  was  accorded  me.  Nothing 
to  do,  restless  and  full  of  curiosity,  I,  with  kindred  spirits,  roamed 
from  hill  to  hill,  played  "fox"  and  "conquer" — games  that  all 
boys  are  familiar  with — went  swimming  in  the  river,  and  did 
many  other  things  which  healthy,  ambitious  boys  are  capable  of 
doing.  I  never  tired  of  playing  in  the  woods  where  the  birds 
sang  merrily  from  morn  till  night  and  loved  to  gather  May  apples 
and  feast  on  wild  fruits.  Huckleberries  and  gooseberries  were 
plentiful  and  blackberry  vines  spread  over  many  acres,  covering 
the  ground  in  the  spring  with  their  delicate  white  blossoms,  and 
brightening  it  in  the  autumn  with  their  gayly  tinted  leaves;  the 
honeysuckle  waved  in  the  crevices  of  the  .rock  and  wild  bees  feast- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  25 

ed  unmolested  on  the  honey  of  its  tiny  cells;  sheep-sorrel  and 
water-cress  grew  along  the  banks  of  every  stream,  and  the  wild 
cherry  bloomed  and  ripened  its  fruit  in  every  pasture,  so  that 
there  was  no  lack  of  food  for  the  body  or  of  interesting  things  for 
the  intellect  to  feast  upon. 

While  these  excursions  to  the  river  along  the  creeks  and  into 
the  woods  were  pleasant  and  profitable  both  to  body  and  mind, 
there  was  much  in  town  to  enfeeble  the  one  and  debauch  the 
other.  Many  a  night  I  spent  in  my  father's  saloon  keeping  tally 
for  gamblers  and  carrying  whisky  to  them.  This  was* injurious  to 
soul-life  and  a  special  bar  to  physical  development,  therefore  I  at- 
tribute my  slender  form  to  these  nightly,  unholy  practices.  While 
my  association  with  sporting  men  tended  to  dwarf  the  body,  there 
was  another  class  of  men  assiduous  in  their  efforts  to  befog  and 
corrupt  the  mind  by  picturing  scenes  of  sensuality  and  telling  foul 
stories  with  which  I  soon  became  disgusted;  since  then  obscenity 
has  been  to  me  both  loathsome  and  unbearable.  These  men  did 
not  corrupt  my  morals  further  than  to  put  me  into  a  state  of 
excitement  and  ugly  temper  whenever  we  met.  I  shunned  them 
as  much  as  possible,  but  there  were  times  wften  I  could  not  avoid 
them.  Father  bought  all  his  family  supplies  of  Fenton  Bros., 
and  it  was  in  their  store  that  these  men  gathered  every  night  to 
tell  tales,  talk  politics  and  tease  any  boy  who  happened  in.  John 
R.  Moberly  was  the  leading  light  of  the  tormentors  of  boys.  He 
was  cross-eyed,  near-sighted  and  constantly  wore  a  pair  of  gold 
rimmed  spectacles  and  when  he  wished  to  be  especially  aggravat- 
ing would  look  over  them  at  one.  Mother  sent  me  to  the  store  one 
night  for  a  spool  of  thread.  The  clerk  being  busy,  I  was,  of  course, 
obliged  to  wait.  This  gave  Mr.  Moberly  an  opportunity  to  pro- 
voke me.  He  continued  his  beastly  harangue  until  I  was  unable 
to  control  my  temper  longer,  and  stepping  in  front  of  him  I  plant- 
ed a  stinging  blow  between  his  eyes  which  broke  his  spectacles 
the  glass  cutting  his  face,  and  the  blow  causing  his  nose  to  bleed 
freely.  The  joke  being  turned  on  him,  and  that  too  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  score  of  men  who  laughed  at  him,  he  became  furious, 
and  though  a  deacon,  swore  by  all  the  gods  ancient  and  modern 
that  he  would  "annihilate"  me.  I  made  a  dash  for  the  door,  but 
a  gentleman  who  did  not  approve  of  tormenting  boys  had  shut 
and  locked  it  to  prevent  my  escape,  and  hoping,  as  he  afterwards 
said,  that  I  would  "get  hold  of  the  scale  weights  and  give  Mr 
Moberly  the  thumping  he  so  richly  deserved."  I  certainly  would 
have  used  the  weights  had  I  first  seen  them,  but  seeing  my  en- 
raged pursuer  falling  over  chairs  and  barking  his  shins  on  nail 
kegs,  I  joined  in  the  laugh  and  once  in  a  good  humor  no  longer 
desired  to  harm  him.  Mr.  Harry  Fowl,  father's  foreman  and  my 
staunch  friend,  was  on  his  way  home  and  hearing  the  boisterous 


26 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


laughter  in  the  store  came  in  and  seeing  me  fleeing-  before  the  in- 
furiated deacon  asked  what  it  meant.  Having  received  a  reply  he 
seized  Mr.  Moberly  by  the  arm,  telling  him  to  desist  his  pursuit 
of  me  or  he  would  "himmediately  put  ha  'ead  hon  'im."  Next 
day  Mr.  Moberly  reported  the  affair  to  my  father  and  intimated 
that  unless  the  spectacles  were  replaced  he  would  institute  suit  for 
damages.  Father  refused  to  pay  for  them  and  having  previously 
been  informed  of  the  difficulty  by  the  foreman,  said,  "In  my  opin- 
ion Polk  served  you  right."  He  nevertheless  punished  me  for 
the  act.  Instead  of  having  a  restraining  influence  this  served 
rather  to  make  me  more  desperate,  as  a  few  days  later  I  struck 
another  man,  who  was  teasing  me,  in  the  mouth  with  a  stone. 
Knocking  out  several  of  his  front  teeth  for  which  father  unmerci- 


Father  Wells  thrashes  Polk  for  Striking  Storekeeper. 

fully  whipped  me.  I  cursed  him,  he  whipped  me  again,  and 
again  I  cursed  him  and  threatened  to  retaliate  if  he  attempted  to 
lay  violent  hands  on  me  again.  We  were  in  the  back  yard  at 
home.  I  stood  still  with  a  stone  in  eachhand  ready  to  execute 
my  threat.  For  a  moment,  like  two  game  cocks,  we  stared  at 
each  other  both  bent  on  victory.  At  first  I  thought  he  would 
spring  at  me  and  in  that  event  I  should  have  struck  him,  but  his 
face  changing  from  an  expression  of  sternness  to  one  of  consider- 
ation assured  me  that  I  had  achieved  a  victory  without  a  blow. 
Various  emotions  were  quickly  written  in  his  countenance.  He 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  27 

thought  such  insubordination  to  paternal  authority  should  be 
punished  and  his  large  blue  eyes  protruded  as  he  noted  my  de- 
fiant attitude,  but  before  he  could  make  up  his  mind  to  act  in  ac- 
cordance with  this  rule  benevolence  put  a  restraining  hand  on 
combativeness.  While  these  faculties  were  struggling  for  the 
mastery  the  voice  of  reason  was  laboring  with  paternal  love, 
which,  joining  benevolence,  quickly  ended  the  strife.  He  became 
calm,  the  expression  of  his  eyes  changed  and  seemed  to  smile  his 
approval  of  my  pluck ;  then  he  felt  remorse  of  his  treatment  of 
me,  a  feeling  of  pity  and  compassion  for  me  took  possession  of 
him  and  without  a  word  he  turned  and  walked  into  the  house 
When  I  saw  his  tears  my  own  stubborn  heart  melted,  my  hands 
relaxed  and  the  stones  fell  to  the  ground.  I  prostrated  myself 
under  the  big  plum  tree  from  wrhich  the  switches,  with  which  I 
was  punished,  were  taken  and  cried  myself  to  sleep. 

I  sometimes  felt  that  the  whole  world  were  against  me.  Even 
the  foreman  looked  cross  and  spoke  unkind  at  times  I  thought, 
yet  there  was  one  (my  dear  sister  Ruth)  who  never  forsook  me. 
She  stooc  by,  invariably,  always  ready  to  defend,  to  pity  and 
comfort  me. 

Again  trouble  arose  between  Joe  and  myself,  resulting  in  a 
desperate  fight.  I  ran  away  and  arriving  at  the  crossing  of  the 
river  at  Doniphan,  Kansas,  was  in  that  state  in  which  the  body 
exerts  itself,  apparently  without  the  control  of  the  mind.  I  soon 
divested  myself  of  a  straw  hat,  cotton  shirt  and  tow  linen  pants, 
all  of  which  I  cast  into  the  river,  and  then  plunged  head  first  into 
the  water  as  if  I  would  forever  hide  myself  from  view,  but  soon 
came  to  the  surface  and  struck  out  for  the  Kansas  shore.  I  landed 
some  distance  above  the  ferryman's  house  and  the  bluffs  being 
close  there  was  scarce  room  between  them  and  the  river  for  a 
wagon  road.  This  I  crossed  and  hid  myself  in  the  hazel  and 
black-jack  bushes  on  the  hillside.  A  few  moments'  reflection 
brought  me  face  to  face  with  my  helpless  and  melancholy  condi- 
tion. Here  I  was  alone,  naked  and  in  a  strange  land.  "I  can- 
not," I  thought,  "in  this  nude  state  present  myself  at  the  house 
of  any  stranger."  My  brother  Berriman  lived  within  a  few  miles 
of  Doniphan,  but  in  which  direction  I  did  not  know.  With  my 
heart  almost  bursting  with  grief,  and  longing  for  a  word  of  sym- 
pathy I  threw  myself  on  the  ground  beside  a  log  and  unconscious- 
ly wept  aloud.  Presently  I  was  startled  by  hearing  approaching 
footsteps.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  was  on  the  point  of  a^ain 
rushing  into  the  river,  when  a  tall  dark  visaged  man  came  into 
view  and  greeted  me  with  "My  Little  Man,  what  brought  you 
here  in  that  condition  and  why  do  you  weep?"  The  pleasant 
smile  which  spread  itself  over  his  countenance,  together  with 
his  soothing  words,  assured  me  that  T  stood  in  the  presence  of  a 


28  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


Swimming  the  Missouri  River,  leaving  Home. 

friend ;  besides  his  face  seemed  familiar  to  me  as  that  of  one  whom 
I  had  always  loved  and  who  had  petted  and  favored  me  in  other 
days.  I  unhesitatingly  approached  and  held  out  my  hand  which 
he  grasped  with  the  tenderness  and  sympathy  which  characterized 
a  great  soul  when  it  beholds  a  fellow  creature  in  distress.  Thisr 
gentleman  was  Mr.  Tom  Sweeten,  an  old  friend  of  our  family, 
who  now  lived  near  my  brother.  He  wrapped  me  in  his  long 
linen  coat,  carried  me  to  the  road,  set  me  on  his  horse  and  spring- 
ing into  the  saddle  galloped  to  my  brother's  house,  where  the 
ladies  soon  dressed  me  in  a  suit  of  new  clothes. 

New  'environments,  peaceful  neighbors  and  loving  friends 
soon  put  me  in  a  happy  state  of  mind  and  several  weeks  passed 
pleasantly  to  me.  I  had  been  at  my  brother's  about  three  weeks 
when  he  went  over  to  Rushville  and  with  surprise  and  a  troubled 
air  received  the  sad  intelligence  of  my  disappearance  and  sup- 
posed death.  Father  had  searched  diligently,  inquired  along  the 
river  wherever  a  skiff  was  kept,  and  after  two  weeks  hard  rid- 
ing, without  receiving  the  slightest  clue  as  to  my  whereabouts 
and  mourned  me  as  dead.  He  was  heart-broken  and  poor  little 
Ruth  grief-stricken.  It  was  a  great  task  for  brother  to  withhold 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  29 

from  them  his  knowledge  of  me  and  he  would  not  have  done  so 
had  it  not  been  for  Mr,  Sweeten,  who  thought  it  would  be  a  just 
punishment  for  father  to  remain  in  ignorance  as  to  my  happy 
condition.  I  was  not  then  capable  of  comprehending  the  extreme 
agony  of  my  father  nor  the  anguish  endured  by  sister  Ruth  on 
account  of  my  mysterious  disappearance  and  absence  or  I  should 
have  hastened  to  them. 

Ever  since  my  first  encounter  with  Joe  I  have  always  been 
ready — too  reaJy,  perhaps — to  fight  when  there  was  a  reasonable 
excuse  for  so  doing,  but  never  had  it  really  been  in  my  heart  to 
kill  a  fellow  creature — with  one  exception  many  years  after  this 
event — consequently  I  felt  glad  when  brother  informed  me  that 
Joe  was  not  seriously  hurt  by  the  blow  I  gave  him. 

Two  or  three  weeks  after  brother's  return  from  Rushville. 
my  friend,  Mr.  Sweeten,  went  there  on  business  and  called  to  see 
my  father  who  asked  me  if  brother  had  heard  anything  concern- 
ing me.    He  at  first  gave  a  negative  reply,  but  noting  the  intense 
sorrow  depicted  in  the  face  of  his  old  friend,  could  no  longer 
keep  from  him  news  that  was  like  ''pouring  oil  on  troubled  wa- 
ters."    He  told  father  my  story,  how  I  had  been  treated,  why  I 
ran  away,  and  then  severely  censured  him  for  not  doing  a  father's 
duty  toward  a  son  by  protecting  him  from  the  cruelty  of  a  step- 
mother and  her  unfeeling  children.    Father  frankly  confessed  that 
he  had  allowed  a  press  of  business  to  occupy  his  mind  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  his  domestic  affairs,  that  his  conduct  was  somewhat 
premature  and  that  he  had  acted  very  unwisely  in  not  investigating 
matters  before  dealing  so  harshly  with  me.    While  he  was  willing 
to  acknowledge  his  error  to.  a  friend,  he  would  not  condescend  to 
ask  my  forgiveness  or  allow  his  dignity  to  bend  in  my  presence. 
When  he  came  the  following  day  to  take  me  home  he  looked  just 
as  stern  and  spoke  just  as  harsh  to  me  as  before,  which  led  me  to 
expect  a  repetition  of  what  I  had  received  under  the  big  plum 
tree.     After  dinner  he  placed  me  behind  him  on  the  horse  and 
started  for  home.     His  first  words  were,  ''When  we  get  to  the 
bridge  where  I  can  get  a  suitable  switch,  Til  teach  you  the  folly 
of  running  away  from  home."     The  bridge  was  across  a  deep 
slough  which  two  or  three  hundred  yards  distant  connected  with 
the  Missouri,  and  along  its  banks  near  the  bridge  were  to  be  had 
dogwood  switches,  several  feet  long,  so  that  my  apprehension  of 
the  terrible  thrashing  I  was  about  to  get  forced  a  determination 
upon  me  never  to  reach  the  bridge.   I  said  nothing,  however,  and 
we  rode  along  in  silence.     When  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
dogwood  swamp,  I  began  to  work  myself  over  the  horse's  rump 
and  at  the  right  moment  dropped  to  the  ground,  sped  through 
the  brush  toward  the  slough  and  was  half  way  to  the  water's  edge 
before  father  missed  me.     He  spurred  his  horse  in  pursuit,  his 


30  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

high  silk  hat  was  knocked  off,  the  overhanging  limbs  rudely 
combing  his  hair ;  he  paid  no  attention  to  these  mishaps  but  urged 
his  horse  the  faster.  When  he  reached  the  slough  bank,  where 
he  last  saw  me.  I  was  sitting  on  the  opposite  shore.  The  approach 
to  the  water  being  miry,  he  was  obliged  to  retire  and  go  around 
by  the  bridge.  I  allowed  him  to  come  within  fifty  yards  of  me 
when  I  again  plunged  into  the  slough  water  and  mud  and  swam 
to  the  other  side.  This  was  a  veritable  ''slough  of  despond"  to 
my  father  and  he  looked  after  me  as  did  Pliable  after  Christian 
for  a  moment  and  then  rode  leisurely  away.  When  I  heard  the 
horse's  feet  strike  the  bridge,  I  again  crossed  the  slough.  I  sat 
on  the  bank,  meditating  on  what  course  to  pursue  when  I  was 
suddenly  disturbed  by  the  clatter  of  horse's  hoofs  on  the  bridge, 
and  at  the  same  time  saw  my  brother  emerge  from  bushes  on  the 
opposite  shore.  This,  in  my  perplexity,  was  a  ruse  I  had  not 


Escapes  from  Father  by  Swimming  the  Creek. 

contemplated,  and  for  a  moment  my  capture  seemed  inevitable. 
But  I  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  as  it  was  but  the  work  of  a  mo- 
ment to  discard  my  clothes  and  get  into  the  slough,  and  I  was  in 
the  center  swimming  toward  the  river  when  father  reached  the 
spot  where  my  garments  lay.  There  was  a  smile  of  triumph  on 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  31 

his  face  as  he  contemplated  my  speedy  capture,  but  his  (sup- 
posed) victory  was  turned  into  defeat.  He  told  brother  to  swim  in 
after  me  but  he  refused  to  do  so  on  the  pretext  of  having  re- 
cently been  sick.  Father,  then,  told  him  to  throw  sticks  at  me  and 
drive  me  out  of  the  slough.  Brother  obeyed  this  order,  but  when 
the  missiles  left  his  hand  I  disappeared,  and  hearing  them  strike 
the  water  would  come  up  for  breath.  Whether  under  or  on  the 
surface  of  the  water  I  was  swimming  toward  the  river  all  the 
time.  Father  saw  I  was  bound  to  get  away  despite  their  efforts 
to  prevent  it,  so  he  called  out,  "Polk,  if  you  will  come  out  and  go 
home  with  me  I  will  never  whip  you  again."  I  stopped  swimming 
long  enough  to  shout,  "Honest  Injun,  won't  you  whip  me  any 
more?"  "Yes,  Honest  Injun,"  he  replied,  "I  won't  do  so  myself 
nor  allow  anyone  else  to  do  so."  According  to  my  knowledge  of 
human  nature  at  this  time  it  was  not  possible  for  a  man  to  violate 
a  promise  to  which  he  had  prefixed  the  words  "Honest  Injun," 
besides,  my  father's  voice  bore  a  ring  of  sincerity.  I  swam  ashore, 
put  on  my  clothes,  bade  brother  good-bye,  mounted  behind  father 
and  resumed  my  homeward  journey  and  arrived  there  about  sun- 
down. All  my  playmates  were  present  to  welcome  me.  Even 
mother,  Joe  and  Sis  seemed  to  be  glad  at  my  return  and  dear  sis- 
ter Ruth  shouted  with  joy. 

My  school  experience  was  rather  peculiar  and  of  short  dura- 
tion. Miss  Cleary  of  St  Joseph,  came  to  Rushville  and  inaugur- 
ated a  subscription  school  for  three  months.  Father  signed  for 
four  pupils,  Joe,  "Sis,"  Ruth  and  myself.  I  learned  rapidly,  and. 
owing  to  my  musical  talent  soon  became  a  favorite  with  the 
teacher  who  was  daily  expecting  her  piano  on  which  she  promised 
to  teach  me  to  play  and  which,  together  wtih  another  incident, 
was  the  cause  of  breaking  up  the  school.  She  received  word  that 
her  piano  would  arrive  on  the  morning  train,  and,  before  dismiss- 
ing the  children  that  evening,  announced  "No  school  tomorrow." 
The  train  arrived  on  time  but  no  piano.  This  was  a  great  disap- 
pointment, but  gave  the  children  another  day  for  gathering  wal- 
nuts. 

Lish  Watson  (my  chum,  who  was  a  timid  little  fellow  en- 
dowed with  large  secretiveness,  so  that  what  he  lacked  in  courage 
he  more  than  made  good  by  his  cunning  and  wisdom),  and  myself 
took  our  wagons  to  the  woods  and  having  filled  the  boxes  with 
hulled  nuts  we  started  home.  Just  below  the  creek  bridge  we 
came  across  "Limber"  John  Yocum,  whose  front  teeth  I  had  ex- 
tracted, lying  drunk  aha  asleep  by  the  roadside,  and  stopped  to 
tease  him.  He  recognized  me,  and  after  many  efforts  succeeded 
in  getting  on  his  feet,  took  after  us.  Lish  left  his  wagon  and  ran,  I 
clung  to  mine  and  in  trying  to  escape  with  it  sprained  my  ankle. 
T  stopped  and  began  pelting  our  pursuer  with  walnuts,  there  be- 


32  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  nothing  else  at  hand,  but  they  were  so  light  that  all  efforts  to 
check  his  progress  served  only  to  increase  it  and  make  him  more 
furious.  Seeing  I  could  not  stop  him  I  abandoned  the  wagon  and 
followed  the  example  of  my  chum,  but  my  ankle  was  so  painful 
that  I  could  not  .run.  When  "Limber"  John  who  was  really  lim- 
ber by  this  time,  came  to  my  wagon  he  gave  it  a  whirl  over  his 
head,  scattering  the  walnuts  like  one  sowing  wheat,  and  then 
brought  it  down  on  the  ground,  smashing  it  into  slivers.  He  now 
pressed  forward  after  me  and  gained  so  rapidly  that  I  left  the 
road,  and  like  Zachaeus,  climbed  the  sycamore  tree.  The  enemy 
came  up,  and  not  being  able  to  climb  after  me,  lay  down  at  the 
base  of  the  tree  to  wait  my  descent.  The  situation  was  not  only 
serious  but  laughable.  The  broad,  white  face  and  the  large  bald 
head  of  my  besieger  were  dotted  all  over  with  walnut  stain,  and 
reminded  me  of  the  boiled  hams  touched  with  the  pepper  box 
my  mother  prepared  for  her  corn  huskings  and  log  rollings  on  the 
old  farm.  Lish,  noting  my  dilemma,  hastened  to  the  still-house 
— three  or  four  hundred  yards  distant — and  sent  the  foreman  to 
my  rescue.  "Limber"  John  began  snoring  loudly.  Of  course,  I 
thought  he  was  asleep,  and  not  knowing  what  Lish  had  done,  I 
began  my  descent  and  had  scarcely  touched  the  ground  when  a 
strong  hand  seized  me.  I  was  now  at  the  mercy  of  an  enraged, 
whisky-soaked  demon,  who  soundly  cuffed  my  ears  and  would, 
perhaps,  have  killed  me  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  the  foreman. 
The  teacher's  instrument  had  arrived  during  our  absence, 
and  a  large  crowd  gathered  at  her  boarding  place  to  hear  and  see 
her  operate  on  the  "pianer,"  the  first  one  in  Rushville,  and  hence 
the  great  curiosity  manifested.  When  Lish  and  I  reached  the 
house  the  teacher  was  playing,  "Wake  up  Jake,  steam  am  up  and 
the  engine  smoking,"  and  with  one  stroke  she  drew  her  pretty 
fore  finger  across  the  keys  producing  a  sound  something  like 
"tra-lah-la-lee-ee-e,"  then,  whirling  around,  waited  for  comments, 
which  were  plentifully  bestowed.  By  this  time  Lish  and  I  had 
reached  the  instrument,  and,  while  the  teacher  was  receiving 
complimentary  remarks  on  her  music,  began  to  finger  the  keys 
Our  hands  were  colored  with  walnut  stain  yet  were  clean,  but  the 
teacher  thought  differently,  for  when  she  saw  them  she  indignant- 
ly requested  us  to  keep  our  "black  paws  off  those  keys."  We  were 
grossly  insulted,  and  immediately  left  the  room,  vowing  vengeance 
on  the  "stuck-up  thing,"  as  my  chum  styled  her.  If  an  oppor- 
tunity had,  at  that  moment,  presented  itself,  I  would  have  assisted 
him  in  any  "trick"  he  might  have  proposed,  but  my  feeling  of  re- 
sentment soon  subsided  and  I  was  willing  to  let  the  matter  drop. 
Not  so  with  my  friend.  The  longer  he  brooded  over  the  indignity 
the  worse  it  appeared  to  him.  The  more  remote  it  became  the  less 
desire  I  had  to  resent  it.  Mrs.  Doctor  Saunders  once  wounded 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  33 

our  feelings  and  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  while  smarting  un- 
der the  offence,  we  scared  her  so  badly  with  a  hawk's  claw  that 
she  was  compelled  to  keep  her  room  for  several  days.  I  had  felt 
sorry  about  the  results  of  this  trick,  and  reminded  Lish  that 
we  had  done  it  out  of  revenge.  He  knew  I  could  not  hold  a 
grudge  against  anyone,  and,  after  discussing  several  of  his  pro- 
posed tricks  against  the  teacher,  dropped  out  of  the  elements  of 
revenge,  and  suggested  that  it  would  be  "great  fun  to  frighten 
her  just  a  little  so  the  folks  could  laugh  at  her."  When  he  ap- 
pealed to  the  funny  side  of  my  nature  I  soon  yielded  to  his  de- 
sires. The  teacher  was  a  delicate  little  woman,  and  the  trick  we 
played  on  her  so  unsettled  her  nerves  that  she  went  home,  thus 
ending  the  school. 

My  next  teacher  was  a  large,  cross-grained,  vulgar,  brutal, 
one-armed  man,  named  Young,  whose  severity  was  the  cause  of 
his  being  dismissed.  Then  Tom  Bracken,  a  small,  red-headed 
irascible  fellow,  took  charge  of  the  school,  continuing  it  until 
June  of  the  following  year,  1861.  Father  paid  for  nine  months 
schooling  for  me  but  I  did  not  attend  more  than  one-fourth  of 
the  time,  preferring  to  listen  to  the  men  talk  war,  and  tell  how 
one  southern  man  could  whip  a  dozen  "Yankees."  My  father 
was  a  strong  "Union  Democrat,"  and  had  many  a  fierce  argu- 
ment with  the  rebel  element  of  Rushville.  He  was  a  large,  pre- 
possessing individual,  fluent  and  eloquent,  and  held  at  his  com- 
mand all  notable  events  of  sacred  as  well  as  profane  history 
therefore  his  opponents  were  silenced,  if  not  convinced  of  his 
logic.  He  told  them  they  were  too  "hot-headed,"  and  advised 
them  to  put  "ice  in  their  hats."  When  they  boasted  of  the  super- 
iority of  southern  men  over  those  of  the  north  he  would  quote 
scripture  to  them,  and  tell  themi  that  God  had  always  used  the 
barbarians  of  the  north  to  subdue  and  discipline  the  wicked,  stiff- 
necked,  idolatrous  Israelites ;  that  the  Roman  Empire,  the  great- 
est government  ever  erected  by  man,  was  overrun  and  conquered 
by  the  hardy,  savage  hordes  of  the  north  and  that  the  people  of 
the  south  would  "be  conquered  in  the  event  of  their  seceding 
from  Union,"  but  they  laughed  and  said,  "You'll  be  with  us  be- 
fore long.  Colonel." 

Father  was  opposed  to  slavery,  and  also  to  freeing  the  slaves, 
unless  the  government  paid  their  masters  at  least  two-thirds  ot 
their  valuation;  so,  when  General  Fremont  on  August  31,  1861. 
issued  his  famous  proclamation,  and  attempted  military  emanci- 
pation of  the  slaves  in  Missouri,  he  himself  rebelled,  and,  believ- 
ing that  Fremont  was  acting  under  orders  from  Washington,  im- 
mediately raised  a  company  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  and 
set  out  for  "Pap"  Price's  army,  which  he  and  his  men  joined  at  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  Missouri,  and  with  which  he  remained  until 


34  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

peace  was  declared.  Father  took  with  him  two  of  my  step- 
brothers— Joe  and  Richard — and  "Black  Joe,"  our  colored  man. 
as  his  servant.  I  was  determined  to  go,  too,  and  followed  the 
company  three  days  before  father  heard  of  me.  I  was  captured 
by  Black  Joe,  taken  to  father's  quarters  and  informed  that  I  must 
return.  Black  Joe  was  sent  home  with  me,  and  with  orders  to 
return  to  his  post,  which  he  did.  Two  months  later  mother  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  father  stating  that  he  would  not  be  home  un- 
til the  war  ended.  Upon  receipt  of  this  information  she  immedi- 
ately wrote  her  married  son,  Pance  Fry,  requesting  him  to  come 
and  live  with  her  during  father's  absence.  He  responded  at  once 
to  the  invitation  and  this  new  acquisition  to  the  family  made  it 
very  hard  on  Ruth  and  myself.  We  were  treated  worse  than  ne- 
groes am!  punished  if  we  complained  about  it.  Our  new  task- 
masters were  so  unreasonable,  tyrannical  and  cruel  that  we  could 
not  endure  our  lot,  and  both  ran  away.  Ruth  going  to  live  with 
sister  Sarah,  while  I  found  a  home  with  Mr.  James  Wilson,  who 
owned  a  splendid  farm,  legions  of  hogs,  cattle,  sheep  and  honey 
bees,  but  his  greatest  wealth  consisted  of  a  most  excellent  wife, 
one  son  and  five  beautiful  daughters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were 
really  father  and  mother  to  me,  and  I  remember  my  short  stay 
with  them  as  being  among  the  happiest  days  of  my  life.  They 
were  full  of  sympathy,  kindness  and  generous  to  a  fault.  They 
called  me  "My  Dear"  and  "My  Honey"  and  nothing  they  had 
was  too  good  for  me,  not  even  one  of  their  daughters.  Mrs.  Wil- 
son said  I  should  have  for  my  wife,  the  fourth  daughter,  Nora. 
who  was  two  years  my  junior  and  who  was  straight  as  a  poplar, 
beautiful  as  Hebe,  pure  as  a  lily  and  could  sing  equal  to  our  own 
"Mary  Anderson."  Nora  and  I  walked  and  talked  together,  built 
play-houses,  carried  water  from  the  river  to  make  coffee,  and  to- 
gether rode  "Old  Buck,"  an  old  sway-backed,  piebald  horse,  the 
only  one  Mr.  Wilson  had  at  the  time,  the  soldiers  and  jayhawkers 
having  taken  the  others.  In  short  we  became  fast  friends,  which 
ripened  into  love,  or,  as  Rev.  Joseph  Cook  would  say,  "a  supreme 
affection,"  which  has,  though  our  lives  have  been  fraught  with 
many  trials  and  bereavements,  remained  pure  and  steadfast  and 
is  as  warm  today  as  when  we  made  "mud-pies"  and  rode  "stick 
horses." 

About  the  first  of  July  (1862)  mother  came  to  Mr.  Wilson's 
and  succeeded  in  persuading  me  to  go  home  with  her.  Pance  had 
repaired  the  still-house  and  was  ready  to  begin  making  whisky 
hence  my  labor  and  especially  my  knowledge  of  the  business 
would  be  valuable  to  him. 

Soon  after  my  return  home  Captain  Floyd,  a  boy  about  my 
size  and  age,  and  living  in  Doniphan,  Kan.,  came  over  to  Rushville 
to  get  a  doctor  to  visit  his  sick  brother.  His  father  made  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  -AND  DARING  DEEDS  35 

original  one  hundred  tubs  for  the  still-house,  had  since  done  all 
my  father's  cooper  work,  and  through  him  the  Captain  and  I  had 
become  acquainted  with  each  other's  antecedents.  We  met  on  this 
occasion  and  were  having  a  pleasant  time  when  some  large  boys 
came  along  and  got  us  into  a  quarrel.  The  chip  was  placed  on 
my  shoulde'r  but  he  declined  to  knock  it  off,  saying,  "I  will  bring 
my  friends  next  Sunday  and  will  fight  you  single-handed  or  one 
company  against  the  other."  On  the  day  appointed  for  the  bat- 
tle I  was  engaged  in  riding  a  wild  horse  for  a  neighbor.  All  my 
friends  were  present,  and  on  receiving  the  message  from  Captain 
Floyd,  who,  with  twenty  companions,  was  at  the  depot,  awaiting 
my  pleasure,  I  had  little  trouble  in  selecting  an  equal  number  to 
meet  him.  My  company,  of  course,  was  composed  of  rebels,  while 
the  Captain  and  his  followers  were  what  we  called  "Black  Aboli- 
tionists." I  proudly  marched  at  the  head  of  my  warriors,  who, 
like  myself,  had  nothing  but  their  hands  to  fight  with.  We  were 
surprised,  and  somewhat  disconcerted,  on  seeing  the  enemy  when 
we  were  within  a  hundred  yards  of  its  line,  display  hickory  clubs 
but  marched  forward.  The  railroad  company  had  intended  build- 
ing a  brick  depot  at  Rushville,  but  abandoned  the  idea  and,  in  re- 
moving the  brick,  a  large  amount  of  bats  were  left  on  the  ground 
When  we  saw  the  clubs  there  passed  along  the  line  the  words  "let 
us  make  for  the  brick  bats,"  which  we  did,  and,  on  reaching  them 
we  were  within  twenty  paces  of  the  Captain's  lines.  I  asked 
"Are  you  ready?"  "We  are,"  was  the  Captain's  emphatic  reply. 
Instantly  the  air  was  filled  with  clubs  and  brick  bats,  and  both 
sides  seemed  determined  to  win,  but  presently  the  Union  boys 
began  to  waver,  and  later  made  a  precipitate  flight  through 
woods  and  fields  for  "Doniphan's  Point."  The  boys,  on  both 
sides,  ranged  from  ten  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  not  one  of  the 
whole  number  escaped  unhurt.  They  were  variously  wounded 
from  broken  fingers  to  cut  heads,  and  one  poor  fellow  lost  an  eye 
as  the  result  of  this  boy  battle,  which  was  widely  commented  on 
at  the  time. 

Mr  Floyd,  like  my  father,  had  impressed  his  youngest  son 
with  a  Von  Moltke,  or  Napoleon  ambition,  and,  during  his  stay 
at  our  house  while  working  at  his  trade  for  my  father,  told  me 
much  about  the  bravery  and  heroism  of  this  boy,  who  possessed 


36  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

the  gift  of  leadership  in  a  marked  degree,  and  had  established 
his  authority  or  the  privilege  to  rule  his  comrades  by  a  mixture  of 
kindness  and  severity.  Those  whom  he  honored  with  his  confi- 
dence were  deeply  attached  to  him,  and  there  never  was  a  King 
who  had  more  absolute  sway  over  his  subjects  than  the  Captain 
exercised  over  his  followers,  nor  one  who  was  more  sincerely 
courted  and  admired  than  was  this  brave,  noble  boy ;  and  I  accord 
him  the  distinction  of  being  a  worthy  foe.  What  I  have  said  of 
the  executive  ability  of  Captain  Floyd  might  be  said  with  equal 
force  and  candor  of  myself,  for  the  boys  of  Rushville  looked  up 
to,  and  admired  me  as  their  leader  and  hero. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Pance,  having  learned  all  I  knew  about  making  whisky  and 
finding  it  necessary  to  employ  a  man  to  do  the  heavy  work,  and 
also  finding  it  to  his  pecuniary  interests  to  get  rid  of  me,  com- 
menced to  abuse  me  with  that  end  in  view.  I  left  home  and  went 
to  live  with  sister  Sarah  during  the  fall  and  winter,  intending  to 
start  for  the  plains  in  the  spring.  On  Saturday  Ruth  and  I  were 
sent  to  Atchison  for  some  groceries  and  while  in  town  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Bill  and  Rolen  Darth,  the  former  a  young  man 
and  the  latter  a  boy  about  my  age  and  size.  Rolen  and  I  started 
out  to  see  the  sights  of  the  city.  We  entered  most  of  the  busi- 
ness houses  on  Commercial  street  (especially  saloons  and  bake- 
shops),  and  bought  whisky,  beer,  candy  and  pies.  On  Market 
Square  we  found  Old  Man  Black,  a  Missouri  farmer  and  negro 
hater,  with  a  load  of  apples  for  sale.  Rolen  invested  five  cents 
and  while  receiving  change  for  his  twenty-five  cents  city  script, 
a  lady's  hand  encased  in  a  black  kid  glove  was  thrust  into  the 
wagon,  followed  by  a  musical  voice,  "What  are  apples  worth  to- 
day, Mr.  Black?"  Without  raising  his  head  he  replied,  "Six  bits 
a  bushel,  ma'am."  In  making  change  he  discovered  she  was  a 
negro  woman  and  raising  his  hands  in  holy  horror  exclaimed, 
"Bless  God,  if  I  didn't  say  ma'am  to  a  nigger."  The  old  man 
threw  his  shoulders  back  and  his  capacious  stomach  forward  in 
order  to  draw  out  the  words,  "Ma'am  to  a  nigger,"  with  a  sort  of 
jerking  scream,  or  as  it  were  the  peroration  of  the  bray  of  Uncle 
Jim  Canter's  jack.  The  exhibition  was  so  ludicrous,  the  idea 
that  a  man  should  be  so  shocked  at  bein^  civil  to  a  colored  woman 
so  amusingly  absurd  that  Rolen  and  I  laughed  until  the  tears 
coursed  down  our  cheeks. 

There  came  to  our  ears,  in  a  tone  indicative  of  excitement 
and  earnestness,  these  words,  "Gentlemen  and  fellow-citizens." 
We  hastened  around  the  corner  and  beheld  Mr.  Lang  beginning 
his  regular  Saturday  evening-  harangue  to  the  negroes  of  Atchi- 
son. He  was  a  disciple  of  John  Brown,  therefore  a  zealous  "Black 
Abolitionist."  He  came  early  to  town  every  Saturday  morning 
and  drank  "Touse"  whisky  until  noon,  when  he  was  ready  to  ad- 
dress his  "enslaved,  down-trodden,"  sable  audience.  He  was 
about  seven  feet  high  with  a  shock  of  red  hair  which  Moses  might 


38 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


have  mistaken  for  the  "burning  bush."  We  listened  awhile  to 
Mr.  Lang-,  then  returned  to  the  ice  cream  parlor  where  we  found 
Bill  and  Ruth  eating  cake  and  ice  cream ;  after  taking  a  dish  our- 
selves and  another  glass  of  whisky  we  all  started  for  home.  On 
boarding  the  ferry  boat  Bill  and  Ruth  went  up  to  the  cabin,  while 
Rolen  and  myself— both  pretty  drunk — remained  on  deck  and  got 
into  a  dispute  as  to  the  justness  of  Mr.  Lang's  remarks  relative 
to  emancipating  the  slaves.  Rolen  was  in  sympathy  with  the 
speaker  and  labored  to  justify  all  he  had  said,  while  I  took  an  op- 
posite view  of  the  matter.  This  difference  of  opinion,  coupled 
with  an  overdose  of  bad  whisky  and  a  score  of  drunken  Mis- 
sourians  to  agitate  our  already  inflamed  minds,  enabled  us  finally 
to  get  into  a  fight.  Rolen,  of  course,  got  the  worst  of  it,  and 
brought  his  brother  who  was  about  as  drunk  as  ourselves,  to 
whip  me.  Bill  came  down  with  Ruth  at  his  side  begging  him  not 
to  bother  me,  but  her  entreaties  served  to  increase  his  rage  and 
desire  to  punish  me.  I  heard  his  threats  and  seizing  a  double- 
barrel  shotgun,  ordered  him  to  halt,  but  he  heeded  not  the  warning. 


Wells'  First  Shooting  Scrape  on  Old  Pomeroy  Ferry  at  Atchison,  Ks. 


At  the  crack  of  my  gun  he  fell  as  if  dead,  but  scared  worse  than 
hurt,  for  the  gun  happened  to  be  loaded  with  quail  shot,  a  number 
of  which  lodged  in  Ruth's  breast.  Next  morning  I  reviewed  the 
scene  and  saw  what  would  have  been  the  result  had  the  gun  been 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  39 

loaded  with  heavy  shot.  I  then  and  there  made  a  solemn  pledge 
to  my  sisters  that  I  would  never  drink  any  more  whisky  and  with 
one  or  two  exceptions  have  kept  my  vow. 

Monday  morning  I  returned  to  Atchison  and  hired  to  drive 
an  ox  team  to  Denver.  The  train  would  not  start  the  foreman 
said,  until  the  following  Sunday  morning,  so  I  put  up  at  the 
"Jansen  House,"  and  during  the  week  won  seventy-five  dollars 
at  poker.  With  this  addition  to  my  funds  I  had  sufficient  means 
to  purchase  a  plainsman's  outfit,  viz :  two  Colt's  revolvers,  a  gen- 
erous supply  of  ammunition,  blankets  for  bedding,  and  a  large 
whip — the  pride  of  all  teamsters.  I  dressed  myself  in  the  plains- 
man's garb — of  the  period — which  consisted  of  a  combrero,  a 
blue  flannel  shirt  embroidered  down  the  front,  buckskin  coat  and 
beeches  with  long  fringe  dangling  at  the  outer  seams,  black  silk 
handkerchief  for  a  necktie,  and  a  red  silk  sash — Mexican  style — 
which  passed  several  times  around  my  slender  waist,  crossed  in 
front  with  the  ends  tucked  under  at  the  side  to  allow  the  long 
fringe  to  hang  over  the  hips.  The  sash  suspended  the  ivory 
handled  pistols.  On  the  right  side  hung  my  long  Spanish  knife, 
also  my  beaded  bullet  pouch  and  powder  flask,  the  latter  sus- 
pended by  a  silk  cord  passed  over  the  left  shoulder. 

Mother  received  from  father  another  letter  stating  that  he 
expected  soon  to  be  at  Rushville.  His  last  words  to  her  were 
that  she  should  "keep  the  children  at  home  and  send  them  to 
school  every  day  if  an  opportunity  is  afforded."  This  instruc- 
tion was  given  amid  a  shower  of  tears,  and  mother,  having  violat- 
ed her  promise,  felt  uneasy  and  fearful  as  to  what  father  might 
do  on  finding  his  children  absent,  and  hearing  too  of  my  near 
departure  for  the  plains  she  came  to  Atchison  with  the  hope  of 
persuading  or  forcing  me  to  return  with  her.  I  was  indulging  in 
my  favorite  game  of  poker  when  she  entered  the  hotel,  and,  on 
hearing  her  request,  flatly  refushed  to  comply;  whereupon  she 
seized  me  by  the  arm,  saying,  "I  will  compel  you  to  go  home." 
I  freed  myself,  however,  and  escaped.  By  a  circuitous  route 
through  alleys  and  back  yards  I  finally  reached  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  overlooking  the  ferry-boat  landing.  Here  I  seated  my- 
self to  watch  the  boat  in  order  to  see  mother  when  she  boarded 
it  on  her  way  home.  Policemen,  or  boy-catchers,  were  not  so 
plentiful  then  as  now,  so  mother  after  vainly  searching  for  me 
two  or  three  hours,  gave  up  in  despair  and  started  for  home.  I 
could  see  down  the  road  to  where  it  turned  into  Commercial 
street  and  as  the  captain  of  the  boat  tapped  the  bell  for  the  last 
time  on  his  last  trip  for  the  day,  I  saw  mother  come  around  the 
corner  waving  her  handkerchief  at  the  captain,  who  kindly  waited 
for  her.  She  stood  on  the  front  deck  looking:  toward  where  I 
sat.  I  rose  and  waved  my  hat  in  triumph.  She  gazed  steadily 
at  me  for  a  moment,  then  putting  her  handkerchief  to  her  face 


40  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

walked  around  the  engine  room  out  of  my  sight.  There  was 
something  about  my  step-mother,  a  sort  of  magnetism  or  bewitch- 
ing influence,  that  made  me  love  her  notwithstanding  our  many 
difficulties  and  her  present  sorrow  touched  me  deeply;  and  had 
it  been  possible  at  that  moment  to  have  transported  myself  to 
the  boat,  I  should  have  done  so,  but  not  having  that  power  I  was 
compelled  to  return  to  the  hotel,  where  the  card  tables,  the  click 
of  poker  chips,  and  the  allurements  of  the  plains  soon  faded  all 
thought  of  mother's  sorrow  and  utterly  effaced  any  real  desire  I 
may  have  had  to  return  home. 

By  daylight  next  morning  '(Sunday),  the  train  was  rolling 
toward  Denver.  Bill  Sapp,  a  giant  of  a  Dutchman,  whom  I  nick- 
named "Dutchy,"  was  foreman  of  the  outfit.  I  was  given  charge' 
of  the  "Mess"  wagon  and  consequently  had  to  drive  the  hindmost 
team1,  which,  owing  to  my  chasing  birds,  rabbits,  snakes  and  other 
small  animals  peculiar  to  the  prairies  of  eastern  Kansas,  would 
drop  behind,  thus  affording  me  the  opportunity  of  using  my  big 
whip  which  I  could  wield  in  the  most  approved  style  as  I  had  had 
much  practice  in  handling  the  whips  of  the  hemp  haulers  who 
came  to  the  old  warehouse.  I  was  now  in  a  new  world.  The 
beautiful  hills,  valleys  and  wooded  streams,  with  clouds  of  quail 
and  prairie  chicken  constantly  rising  along  the  road,  were  to  my 
youthful  mind  enchanting  and  always  interesting.  The  only  thing 
that  worried  me  was  the  slowness  of  our  progress,  as  I  was  ever 
anxious  and  always  in  a  hurry  to  reach  the  summit  of  the  next 
hill  that  I  might  see  what  lay  beyond.  I  was  following  a  veritable 
ignus  fatnus — a  sort  of  Utopia,  as  it  were — that  eluded  my  gaze, 
and  yet  I  saw  my  ideal  every  day  in  the  lovely  country,  the  clear, 
running  streams  with  their  pretty  little  fish  and  ducks,  and  breath- 
ed in  it  the  virgin  atmosphere,  but  did  not  so  understand  it  then. 
The  same  long,  level — seemingly  level — of  sunburned  prairie  (for 
the  grass  had  turned  yellow),  which,  further  away,  changed  into 
a  low,  dark,  blue  ridge,  which  seemed  to  sink  into  the  ground  at 
night,  and  rise  again  in  the  morning  with  the  first  light,  but  never 
otherwise  changed  its  height  or  distance.  At  the  base  of,  or  be- 
yond, this  blue-line,  I  expected  to  find  lovely  cities,  inhabited  by 
giant-like,  yet  pure  and  generous  people.  Hence,  I  traveled  on 
by  night  as  well  as  day,  hoping  to  reach  the  wonderland  of  my 
boyish  imagination,  which  seemed  no  nearer  at  sunset  than  at 
sunrise,  and  in  consequence  of  this  illusion  I  experienced  a  sense 
of  always  moving  with  an  indefinite  purpose,  and  of  halting  at 
night  at  the  same  place — for  all  the  camping  grounds  presented 
the  same  appearance,  since  they  were  strewn  with  the  same  sort 
of  rubbish,  such  as  cast-off  garments,  pieces  of  rabbit  skin  and 
empty  fruit  cans — with  the  same,  yet  different  surroundings,  a 
chalky  taste  of  dust,  and  an  all-pervading  smell  of  cattle.  Thus 
the  days  passed  slowly  but  surely  and  with  an  increased  anxiety 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  41 

on  my  part  to  reach  Maryville  on  the  Big  Blue.  With  such  a 
beautiful  name  I  expected  to  see  a  lively  town,  but  was  surprised 
to  find  only  a  stone  barn,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  saloon. 

Having  crossed  Big  Blue  we  were  really  on  the  "great  plains  ' 
with  the  uncivilized  west  lying  before  us.  At  the  west  end  of 
"Nine  Mile  Ridge"  is  a  long,  steep  hill  requiring  the  wagons  to 
be  locked  in  order  to  safely  descend  it.  On  reaching  this  point  my 
team  was  some  distance  behind  with  but  two  or  three  teams  in 
sight.  I  started  my  cattle  in  a  trot  to  catch  up  and  before  reach- 
ing the  locking  place  the  last  team  had  disappeared.  I  could  not 
stop  my  team  to  lock  the  wagon,  therefore  it  made  a  wild  dash 
down  the  rocky  hill.  I  stood  breathless,  watching  the  flying 
team,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  the  wagon  upset,  scatter 
and  smash  things  generally,  but  the  cattle  kept  the  road  and  did 
not  stop  running  until  my  leaders  had  their  heads  against  the  rear 
wag-on.  "Dutchy,"  who  was  riding  at  the  front  of  the  train,  and 
who  had  frequently  cautioned  me  about,  and  even  threatened  to 
whip  me  for  running  my  team,  and  who  had  already  whipped  two 
young  men  with  his  blacksnake  for  disobeying  orders,  now  dashed 
up  the  hill  to  meet  me,  and,  with  his  whip  drawn  in  a  striking 
manner,  said,  "I've  a  mind  to  cut  the  skin  off  of  you,  you  little 
rascal."  "The  sooner  you  commence  the  sooner  you'll  get 
through,"  was  my  impudent  reply.  I  had  struck  a  defensive  atti- 
tude with  ready  hand  on  my  pistol,  which,  coupled  with  his 
knowledge  of  my  shooting  the  Swede  on  the  ferry-boat,  warned 
him  to  consult  his  own  safety  by  compromising  the  matter.  He 
hung  his  whip  on  his  saddle  horn,  and  extending  his  hand  said, 
"I  admire  your  pluck.  Come,  jump  up  behind  me  and  we  will 
soon  catch  the  train."  "Dutchy"  talked  very  kindly  and  told  me 
how  to  treat  my  team  so  it  would  love  and  obey  me  instead  of 
running  every  time  I  approached  it.  "I  want  you,"  he  said,  "to 
be  a  man,  not  a  little  boy.  Stop  chasing  snakes,  lizards,  toads  and 
bugs  and  attend  to  your  team,  and  I'll  let  you  ride  'Brigham' — 
his  horse — on  day  herd."  Surely  "soft  words  breaketh  the  bones/* 
and  "kindness  stilleth  wrath."  Just  a  moment  before  I  was  ready 
to  shoot  "Dutchy,"  but  in  the  next  would  have  fought  for  him — 
henceforth  he  and  I  were  excellent  friends.  I  did,  promptly, 
whatever  he  required  of  me  and  made  myself  as  agreeable  to  my 
companions  as  the  nature  of  the  circumstances  would  permit.  I 
had  been  quite  disagreeable  and  complained,  justly,  perhaps,  of 
many  things  to  which  the  average  teamster  attached  but  little  or 
no  importance.  The  food  was  coarse  and  less  skilfully  prepared 
than  that  to  which  I  had  been  accustomed,  and  there  was  a  reck- 
less freedom  and  roughness  in  the  intercourse  of  my  comrades 
that  shocked  and  sometimes  angered  me ;  a  speech  untranslatable 
and  a  rudeness  and  haphazardness  in  their  domestic  arrangements 
that  almost  bordered  on  nastiness.  The  cook  was  the  only  one 


4:2  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

who  made  any  pretensions  to  cleanliness  and  he  sometimes  did 
not  wash  his  face  for  a  week.  This  state  of  affairs  was  horri- 
fying to  me,  but  I  had  to  accept  the  situation  and  meekly  follow 
"Dutchy's"  advice — "when  on  the  great  plains  you  must  do  as 
plainsmen  do."  While  I  reluctantly  adopted  the  habits  of  my  fel- 
low-travelers, and  cheerfully  complied  with  "Dutchy's"  orders 
concerning  the  management  of  my  team,  while  the  train  was  in 
motion,  I  felt  that  I  had  a  right  when  it  made  a  halt  for  dinner 
or  at  night  to  occupy  my  time  as  best  suited  me ;  therefore  I  wan- 
dered over  the  hills,  along  the  streams,  and  shot  at  everything 
from  a  grasshopper  up  to  a  buffalo,  and  by  the  time  we  reached 
Old  Julesburg  on  South  Platte,  was  accorded  the  distinction  of 
being  the  best  marksman  in  the  outfit.  We  camped  at  Julesburg 
for  dinner  and  I,  as  usual,  went  out  shooting.  Prairie  dogs  were 
as  numerous  as  moles  in  a  Missouri  bottom  corn  field,  and  my 
rapid  firing  at  them  attracted  the  attention  of  a  lady  and  gentle- 
man who  were  standing  in  front  of  the  station,  and  who  were  no 
less  personages  than  the  famous  stage  robber,  Alf  Slade  and  his 
wife.  They  came  out  where  I  was  and  after  complimenting  my 
marksmanship — for  I  had  killed  several  dogs,  a  difficult  thing 
to  do,  as  an  evidence  of  it — Slade  drew  his  pistol  and  showed  me 
how  to  shoot  without  taking  aim.  This  mode  of  handling  fire 
arms  is  similar  to  throwing  a  stone  from  the  hand.  The  eye,  of 
course,  plays  part,  but  the  elevation  and  range,  or  direction  of  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun  is  wholly  the  work  of  the  mind.  I  readily  saw 
the  advantages  of  this  style  of  shooting  and  adopted  it  in  prefer- 
ence to  that  of  taking  sight,  or  as  Slade  termed  it,  "Hoosier 
shooting."  Mrs.  Slade  was  a  tall,  sprightly  woman,  with  the 
most  pleasing,  or  insinuating,  manner  I  ever  beheld  and  it  was, 
perhaps,  owing  to  this  characteristic  that  I  was  led  to  regard  her 
as  handsome  and  to  almost  reverence  her  as  a  superior  being. 
She  read  my  thoughts  or  estimation  of  her  as  she  would  the  pages 
of  a  book  and  having  heard  me  say  I  had  no  relations  with  the 
outfit,  proposed  that  I  leave  it  and  make  my  home  with  her  and 
her  husband.  Of  course  I  would  go  to  live  with  people  who 
would  be  kind  to  me,  furnish  me  with  an  "abundance  of  good 
things  to  eat,  a  fine  horse  to  ride,  and  breech-loading  guns  with 
which  to  hunt  buffalo."  Mrs.  Slade  and  I  having  sealed  the 
bargain  with  a  kiss,  Slade  then  told  me  to  go  to  the  train,  get  my 
things  and  come  to  the  station  for  dinner.  I  hastened  to  the 
corral  and  informed  "Dutchy"  of  my  agreement.  He  raised  his 
hands  in  horror  and  exclaimed,  "Good  heavens.  Polk,  my  boy, 
that  is  Slade  and  his  wife,  and  you  shall  not  go  with  them  if  I 
can  prevent  it."  He  need  not  have  added  the  latter  clause,  as  the 
mere  mention  of  Slade  was  sufficient  to  change  my  mind,  and 
fill  my  soul  with  loathing  for  that  "lady  and  gentleman." 

John  Fry,  my  step-brother,  had  rode  on  the  "Pony  Express 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  43 

Line,"  and  on  his  return  from  the  West,  stopped  over  night  at 
our  house,  and  Slade  was  the  hero  of  his  many  tales  of  frontier 
life.  Being  thus  made  familiar  with  Slade's  crimes,  committed 
against  the  general  public,  and  his  fiendish  cruelty  toward  his 
associates  in  wrong  doing,  it  needed  only  the  mention  of  his  name 
to  produce  a  sudden  and  violent  revulsion  of  feeling  toward  him 
and  his — to  me — accomplished  wife.  Slade  suspected  that  the 
foreman  had  persuaded,  or  compelled,  me  to  break  my  engage- 
ment with  his  wife,  and  came  out  to  the  camp  to  inquire  if  such 
was  the  case.  He  stepped  up  close  to  me  and  asked,  "Why  did 
you  not  come  to  the  station  for  dinner  as  you  agreed  to?"  "Be- 
cause," said  I,  "you  are  Slade,  the  stage  robber."  His  cold,  steel 
gray  eyes  flashed  fire  as  he  asked,  "Who  told  you  that  ?"  I  point- 
ed to  "Dutchy,"  who  took  on  a  cadaverous  look  as  Slade  drew 
his  pistol  and  said,  'I  have  a  mind  to  crop  your  ears" — a  thing  he 
had  frequently  done  to  those  who  had  offended  him.  I  drew  a 
pistol  and  said,  "Harm  him  and  I'll  drop  you  in  your  tracks."  He 
replaced  his  pistol  in  its  holster,  turned  and  walked  leisurely 
toward  the  station.  , 

There  was  one  extraordinary  incident  in  the  wild  career  of 
Slade  that  is  worthy  of  mention  here  and  that  is  the  fact  that  he 
made  himself  such  a  terror  to  overland  travelers  that  Ben  Holla- 
day,  proprietor  of  the  stage  line,  personally  made  a  treaty  with 
him  and  appointed  him  special  messenger  over  the  Julesburg  divi- 
sion. Slade  was  faithful  to  his  employer  and  did  his  work  so 
effectively  that  stage  robbing  along  that  part  of  the  route  became 
a  thing  of  the  past.  He  knew  all  the  "free-booters"  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  and  wherever,  or  whenever,  he  met  one,  shot 
him  dead.  Having  killed  and  dispersed  the  lawless  fellows,  he 
was,  of  course,  of  no  further  use  to  the  sagacious  Ben,  who  it  was 
said,  gave  him  a  sum  of  money  for  peacefully  resigning  his  com- 
mission as  agent.  Shortly  after  I  saw  Slade  he  went  to  Virginia 
Qty,  Montana,  and  organized  another  band  of  robbers.  He  was 
so  bold  and  his  stage  robberies  so  frequent  that  the  vigilants  took 
his  case  in  hand  and  in  the  early  part  of  1864  hung  him.  He  had 
many  friends  at  the  execution  and  it  was  thought  there  would 
have  been  trouble  between  him  and  the  vigilance  committee  had 
his  brave,  faithful  wife  appeared  on  the  scene  a  little  sooner.  Mrs. 
Slade,  riding  man-fashion,  with  two  large  Colt's  navies  strapped 
to  her  slender  waist,  dashed  through  the  crowd  and  up  to  the 
gallows.  For  a  moment  she  gazed  upon  the  suspended  remains 
of  her  husband  ("the  proud  monarch  of  the  prairies"),  then 
wheeled  her  horse  and  sped  away  to  parts  unknown.  She  was 
a  cultured  woman  and  the  favorite  daughter  of  a  wealthy  and 
influential  gentleman  of  New  York  City,  and  it  was  thought  by 
some  that  she  had  made  her  way  back  to  the  parental  roof;  others, 
who  were  familiarly  acquainted  with  her  and  Slade,  believed  she 


44  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

returned  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  they  were  married;  but 
the  probabilities  are  that  she  committed  suicide  and  furnished  a 
meal  for  hungry  coyotes,  or  became  the  wife  of  a  brave  or  some 
lonely  trapper. 

The  next  interesting  point  was,  "Fremont's  Orchard,"  in 
which  I  expected  to  gather  all  manner  of  rich  fruit,  but  was  dis- 
appointed, as  the  famous  orchard  proved  to  be  nothing  more  than 
a  grove  of  scrubby  cotton-wood  on  the  Platte  bottom.  We  reach- 
ed Denver,  the  village  of  small  log  cabins,  unloaded  the  train  and 
returned  to  Leavenworth,  and  owing  to  my  faithful  service  and 
friendship  to  "Dutchy,"  I  was  given  the  cattle  to  herd  that  winter. 
Niext  spring  (1863)  the  train  was  loaded  at  White  Cloud,  Kan- 
sas, with  corn,  oats,  bacon  and  flour,  for  the  soldiers  at  Fort 
Laramie,  Wyoming  Territory.  At  Fort  Kearney  "Dutchy"  in- 
troduced me  to  the  noble  Kit  Carson,  and  patting  my  head,  said, 
"This  is  the  boy  who  prevented  Slade  from  shooting  me  last  fall." 
"That's  a  fact,"  said  the  scout,  "for  the  saloon  keeper  at  Jules- 
burg  told  me  that  Slade  said  he  would  have  pierced  your  ears 
had  the  boy  not  looked  so  fearless  and  determined."  Mr.  Carson, 
after  praising  my  conduct  in  the  Slade  affair  and  complimenting 
my  marksmanship,  gave  me  some  good  points  on  Indian  warfare, 
how  to  handle  a  gun,  and,  presenting  a  fine  buckhorn  handled 
knife,  with  beaded  scabbard,  said,  "Put  this  on  your  belt,  and 
when  you  get  into  close  quarters,  which  is  certain  to  befall  you 
if  you  stay  out  west  very  long,  use  it;  it  will  never  miss  fire  if 
you  handle  it  right.  Learn  to  use  your  gun  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
One  second  may  save  your  life." 

There  has  been  much  said  and  written  about  prairie  dogs. 
One  authority  says,  "they  are  not  overly  fastidious  in  their  choice 
— i.  e.,  if  they  have  any  choice  in  the  matter — of  companions,  for 
rattlesnakes  and  demure  little  gray  owls  with  a  large,  white  ring 
around  each  eye,  and  with  wise,  grave  countenances,  occupy  the 
same  hole  with  the  rightful  owners,  though,  on  what  terms  they 
live  together  I  could  never  ascertain."  Of  course  he.  could  not 
collect  substantial  data  of  a  domestic  relation  which  does  not 
exist,  for  the  simple  reason  that  the  owl,  snake  and  prairie  dog 
belong  to  the  class  carnivera  (more  especially  the  two  former), 
hence  are  mortal  enemies,  the  one  to  the  other.  Another  writer 
says,  "Prairie  dogs  have  a  public  well,  to  which  the  whole  popu- 
lation of  a  village  go  for  water."  I  have  seen  "dog  towns,"  as 
they  are  called,  on  table-land  where  it  would  require  a  thousand 
feet  of  digging  to  reach  water,  and,  if  the  above  statement  be 
true,  there  would  have  been  thrown  out  of  the  "public  well"  an 
immense  pile  of  earth,  but  I  never  saw  such  an  accumualtion. 
On  the  contrary,  the  mounds  ar-jnnd  the  holes  are  of  as  uniform 
size  as  the  peas  in  a  single  pod.  I  account  for  their  water  supply 
on  the  theory  that  they  require  but  little  moisture  and  that  little 


EXCITING  D'AYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  45 

is  obtained  from  the  ants,  insects  and  grass  roots  on  which  they 
subsist.  On  approaching  their  village  they  conne  out  and  perch 
themselves  on  the  little  mounds,  hold  up  their  little  paws  in  a 
supplicating  attitude,  and  bark  most  vehemently  at  their  intruder, 
whisking  their  bushy  little  tails  all  the  while.  When  shooting 
these  little  p.nimals,  it  they  stand  on  the  mound  next  to  the  gun- 
ner and  are  hit,  the  force  of  the  ball  knocks  them  back  into  the 
hole,  and  in  their  death  struggles  work  themselves  down  until  out 
of  reach,  from  which  fact  arose  the  erroneous  idea  that  the  dogs 
inside  came  out  and  dragged  their  dead  comrade  into  the  hole. 
But  if  they  sit  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hole,  and  are  hit,  the 
ball  forces  them  over  the  mound  and  they  can  be  secured  if 
wanted.  The  flesh  of  these  little  creatures  is  very  tender  and 
pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  makes  a  delicious  pot-pie,  which 
"Dutchy"  called  "Plainsman's  Delight,"  and  it  was  for  this  pur- 
pose I  killed  so  many  of  them. 

After  unloading  the  train  at  Fort  Laramie  the  wagons  were 
coupled  up  so  as  to  make  twelve  teams  instead  of  twenty-four. 
By  this  arrangement  half  of  the  cattle  got  a  rest  every  other  day. 
The  loose  cattle  were  called  the  "Kavy-Yard,"  which  the  extra 
men  took  turns  in  driving.  My  day  came. to  drive  "Cavy-Yard," 
and  "Dead-Heads"  (lazy  cattle),  as  they  are  called,  gave  me 
much  trouble  straying  from  the  road,  first  on  one  side  and  then 
on  the  other.  One  of  these  exasperating  old  sinners  annoyed  me 
all  the  forenoon.  The  more  I  whipped  him  and  twisted  his  tail 
the  slower  he  seemed  to  go.  Continual  hard  labor  becomes  ex- 
haustive, and  at  times  in  the  best  of  families,  "patience  ceases  to 
be  a  virtue ;"  therefore,  while  taking  the  noon  rest,  I  studied  out 
a  plan  whereby  "Old  Tex"  could  be  made  to  travel  a  little  faster 
than  during  the  morning.  Shortly  after  resuming  our  journey 
the  old  "Dead-Head"  began  to  lag  behind.  I  cut  a  prickly  pear 
as  large  as  a  dinner  plate,  and  put  it  close  up  under  his  tail,  which 
closed  down  on  the  thorny  appendage  with  a  vise-like  grip ;  the 
worse  the  thorns  hurt  the  tighter  he  held  his  tail.  He  commenced 
bellowing  and  dashed  in  among  the  loose  cattle,  causing  them  to 
stampede.  The  teams  also  stampeded,  some  running  into  the 
Platte  and  overturning  the  wagons  and  others  out  on  the 
prairie  also  upsetting. 

Our  next  trip  was  also  to  Fort  Laramie,  and  having  crossed 
the  South  Platte,  we  camped  for  breakfast.  A  buffalo  was  seen 
out  on  the  prairie,  and  "Dutchy"  told  me  to  go  after  him.  With 
my  Henry  rifle  in  hand  I  got  into  a  draw,  leading  toward  my 
intended  victim,  and  having  approached  within  one  hundred  yards 
of  him,  raised  and  fired,  the  ball  striking  a  little  too  high  to 
prove  fatal.  This  was  an  old  bull,  who  had  lately  been  wounded 
and  was  still  angry,  so  that  my  shot  merely  increased  his  rage. 
He  tossed  his  huge  head  in  the  air  so  that  his  "Langtry  bangs" 


46  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

fell  away  from  over  his  eyes,  which  afforded  him  a  view  of  his 
enemy.  He  snorted  loudly  and  viciously,  then  made  toward  me. 
I  now  had  an  opportunity  of  testing  my  courage  and  of  putting 
into  execution  the  edvice  of  my  friend  Kit  Carson.  Holding  my 
gun  against  the  shoulder  with  my  left  hand  and  working  the 
lever  with  the  right,  I  fired  five  shots  into,  or  rather  against,  the 
head  of  the  beast  without  in  the  least  slacking  his  pace.  It  then 
occurred  to  me  that  "he  who  shoots  and  runs  away  will  live  to 
shoot  another — buffalo,"  so  I  made  tracks — two  to  the  rod — 
toward  the  corral  five  hundred  yards  distant.  The  situation  was 
a  critical  one  and  I  was  forced  into  a  desperate  act.  I  saw  a 
large  wolf  hole  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  conlie,  in  which  I  had 
approached  the  buffalo,  and  made  directly  for  it.  Throwing  my 
gun  to  one  side,  I  drew  my  trusty  blade  and  plunged  head  first 
into  the  wolf  den.  The  infuriated  monster  was  close  behind  roe, 
so  close  in  fact  that  I  felt  his  hot  breath,  and  the  next  instant  his 
head  struck  the  earth  at  my  heels.  He  turned  a  semi-somersault, 
thus  leaving  his  short  tail  pointing  toward  several  of  my  com- 
panions who  were  coming  to  my  rescue.  The  bull  rose  quickly, 
gazed  about  wonderingly,  but  triumphantly,  and  in  the  language 
of  the  juggler  seemed  to  say,  "presto-change,  now  you  see  him, 
and  now  you  don't  see  him."  While  exulting  over  his  temporary 
victory  the  boys  got  close  enough  to  pour  their  leaden  messengers 
into  his  side,  killing  him  instantly.  His  huge  body  lay  partially 
across  the  wolf  hole,  shutting  out  most  of  the  air,  but  I  was  quick- 
ly rescued  from  this  unpleasant  situation.  We  then  examined 
the  buffalo's  head  and  found  five  bullets  imbedded  in  the  heavy 
mat  of  hair  and  sand  that  covered  his  skull,  which  flattened  them 
as  though  they  had  been  shot  against  a  rock. 

At  Cherry  Creek,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  Fort  Laramie, 
we  camped  for  three  days  in  order  that  other  large  trains  might 
unload  and  get  out  of  our  way,  besides  we  had  several  wagons 
to  .repair,  a  number  of  lame  cattle  to  shoe,  and  Cherry  Creek  af- 
forded better  facilities  for  this  and  better  grass  for  the  cattle  than 
nearer  the  Fort.  A  large  number  of  Sioux  Indians  were  camped 
on  the  Platte  some  distance  below  us  and  were  holding  a  pro- 
tracted "pow-pow."  I  attracted  their  attention  by  my  bold  horse 
back  riding  and  accurate  shooting.  "Dutchy"  allowed  me  the 
use  of  his  horse,  from  whose  back  while  running  at  full  speed  I 
could  pick  off  the  ground  a  hat  or  lasso  with  perfect  ease,  which 
pleased  the  Indians,  who,  by  reason  of  my  long  black  hair,  con- 
ceived the  idea  that  I  was  a  girl.  Therefore,  they  regarded  my 
feats  of  shooting  and  riding  with  awe,  for  such  reckless  exploits 
as  I  performed  were  unheard  of  among  the  Indians,  at  least  so 
far  as  children  and  women  were  concerned.  "Dutchy"  took  great 
pleasure  in  passing  me  off  as  his  daughter  and  refused  many 
fabulous  offers  for  me  from  young  braves  who  wanted  me  to 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  47 

make  their  moccasins,  cook  their  venison  and  adorn  their  lodges 
generally.  Just  before  noon  on  the  third  day  of  our  stay  at 
Cherry  Creek  a  young  warrior,  whose  name  was  "Antelope,"  and 
who  was  the  finest  looking  Indian  I  have  ever  seen,  came  to  the 
camp  and  exhibited  a  paper,  stating  he  would  soon  be  elected 
chief  of  a  tribe.  I  shall  have  considerable  to  say  about  this  fel- 
low, whose  tout  ensemble  was  about  as  follows :  His  head  was 
large  and  well,  or  proportionately,  developed;  blood  red  streaks 
were  drawn  on  the  scalp,  and  from  the  braid  of  shimmering, 
black  hair  dangled  several  eagle  feathers  and  the  tails  of  a  num- 
ber of  rattlesnakes ;  his  cheeks  were  daubed  with  vermillion  and 
his  ears  adorned  with  heavy,  metal  rings ;  a  collar  of  grizzly  bear 
claws,  a  token  of  strength  and  courage,  surrounded  his  neck,  and 
a  necklace  of  wampum  hung  on  his  broad  breast.  His  manner 
at  once  stamped  him  as  a  man  of  note  in  his  nation.  He  was 
fully  six  feet  high,  gracefully  and  strongly  built;  his  hair  hung 
down  his  back,  and  at  the  base  of  the  braid  was  attached,  by  way 
of  ornament  and  talisman  the  "mystic  whistle,"  made  of  the  wing 
bone  of  the  war  eagle,  and  endowed  by  the  various  occult  virtues. 
The  braid  was  also  adorned  with  a  line  of  highly  polished  brass 
plates  tapering  from  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar  to  that  of  a  dime. 
With  the  exception  of  the  ornaments  his  body  was  naked  from 
the  waist  up,  his  red  blanket  having  fallen  about  his  loins,  and 
confined  there  by  a  broad,  beaded  belt.  The  buckskin  leggings 
and  gaily  beaded  moccasins  added  grace  and  some  measure  of  re- 
finement to  this  picturesque  individual;  his  arms  consisted  of  a 
short  Ballard  carbine,  a  quiver  of  beaver  skin  full  of  arrows  at 
his  back,  a  strong  bow  in  his  hand,  and  a  large  knife  and  the 
awful  tomahawk  stuck  in  his  belt.  "Dutchy"  could  speak  the 
Sioux  language  and  was  conversing  with  the  young  warrior  when 
I,  having  been  on  the  herd,  returned  to  the  corral  to  get  my  din- 
ner. He  immediately  offered  five  ponies  for  me,  and  said,  pat- 
ting himself  on  the  breast,  "Antelope  make  great  chief  with  pale- 
face squaw."  He  was  informed  that  all  the  horses  in  the  Sioux 
nation  could  not  buy  me,  which  greatly  exalted  me  in  the  mind 
of  my  dusky  admirer,  who  then  proposed  to  give  me  a  pretty 
pony  if  I  would  sit  on  his  knee  and  allow  him  to  kiss  me. 
"Dutchy"  acquainted  me  with  his  proposition  and  told  me  to  go 
to  him  and  see  what  he  would  do.  I  walked  up  to  him  and  put 
my  hand  on  his  arm.  "Dutchy"  said  something  to  him  and  he 
caught  me  in  his  strong  arms  and  almost  smothered  me  with 
kisses ;  I  slapped  him  in  the  face  and  ran  away.  He  thought  he 
had  offended  me  and  immediately  offered  an  apology  for  his 
rudeness.  Chastity,  though  not  generally  believed  to  exist  among 
the^  Indians,  is  by  them  highly  esteemed,  and  the  modest,  chaste 
maiden  is  a  joy  to  her  family  and  the  pride  of  her  tribe.  They 
are,  however,  without  exception  as  fond  of  kissing  as  was  Gen- 


48  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

eral  Sherman.  Antelope  after  being  satisfied  that  I  was  not 
angry,  sprang  upon  his  noble  war-horse  and  rode  rapidly  toward 
this  camp.  He  soon  returned,  leading  the  loveliest  black  pony  I 
ever  beheld,  and,  handing  the  hair  lasso,  which  was  looped  on  its 
under-jaw  to  "Dutchy,"  said,  "Me  give  him  to  white  chiefs 
daughter."  I  thanked  him  for  the  handsome  gift  and  he  rode 
away  chanting  an  Indian  love  song. 

Having  unloaded  our  train  we  started  for  home.  "Dutchy" 
secured  for  me  a  saddle  at  the  Fort,  and  excused  me  from  duty 
with  the  understanding  that  I  should  furnish  the  men  with  fresh 
meat.  I  now  had  no  fear  of  buffalo,  as  I  could  ride  my  pony 
into  a  herd  and  shoot  down  such  animals  as  I  chose. 

We  arrived  at  the  company's  farm  near  Leavenworth  and  I 
remained  with  the  herd  until  a  few  days  before  Christmas,  when 
there  took  possession  of  my  thoughts  an  overwhelming  desire  to 
see  my  sisters.  After  buying  a  new  suit  for  myself  and  a  fine 
saddle  and  bridle  for  my  pony,  I  bade  "Dutchy"  good-bye  and 
started  for  home.  As  I  rode  onto  the  ferry  boat  at 
Atchison,  a  waggish  fellow  shouted,  "Here  comes 
Santa  Claus."  Well  might  he  say  that,  as  my  pony 
was  loaded  with  all  sorts  of  presents  for  the  dear  ones 
whom  I  had  not  seen  nor  heard  from  for  eighteen  months.  When 
I  appeared  at  the  yard  gate  to  Sister  Sarah's  house,  Ruth  and 
the  children  were  out  in  the  yard  playing,  while  Sarah  was  pre- 
paring a  Christmas  eve  supper.  Ruth  and  her  little  playmates 
stared  at  me,  then  at  the  tin  horns,  drums,  china  dolls  and  bundles 
of  dry  goods,  but  I  was  not  recognized  until  I  asked,  "Does  Mrs. 
Myers  live  here  ?"  Then  came  from  Ruth  the  glad  shout  of  recog- 
nition, which  brought  Sarah  to  the  door.  I  was  dragged  from 
the  pony  and  carried  bodily  into  the  house  while  dear  little  Mary 
(Sarah's  eldest  child),  led  my  pony  up  to  the  front  door  where 
it  was  unpacked,  and  put  in  the  stable.  Oh,  what  a  joyful  meet- 
ing that  was. 

All  the  able-bodied  men  had  either  gone  into  the  war,  or 
fled  to  the  mountains  to  avoid  "Uncle  Sam's"  draft,  so  that 
most  of  the  ladies  of  Rushville  had  to  be  their  own  "drawers  of 
water  and  hewers  of  wood."  My  step-mother  had  been  de- 
serted by  her  son,  Pance,  and  was  destitute  of  the  common 
necessities  of  life,  and  when  I  reached  home  she  was  weaving 
carpet,  by  which  she  meagerly  supported  herself  and  daughter 
"Sis."  They  were  glad  to  see  me  and  surprised  me  with  em- 
braces and  kisses,  a  manifestation  of  good  will  that  I  was  not 
prepared  for.  I  enjoyed  it,  however,  and  accepted  it  as  genu- 
ine. They  "had  used  the  horse-lot  fence  and  the  siding  from 
the  ice-house  for  fire  wood  and  bad  commenced  on  the  frame- 
work of  the  latter,  and  when  I  entered  the  house  the  ends  of 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  49 

half  a  dozen  rafters  were  sticking  in  the  fire-place.    As  the  ends 
burned  off  the  ends  were  pushed  further  into  the  fire. 

Having  plenty  of  money  and  not  afraid  to  spend  it,  I  was 
making  life  pleasant  and  comfortable  for  mother  and  "Sis," 
when  one  day — about  the  eighth  of  January,  1864 — the  town 
was  panic-stricken  by  the  entrance  of  a  company  of  Kansas 
jayhawkers  who  plundered  every  house  in  it.  They  knew  my 
father  was  in  the  Confederate  army  and  therefore  took  special  pains 
pains  to  strip  his  house  of  everything  in  the  shape  of  silverware, 
jewelry,  fine  bed-spreads,  etc.,  and  even  took  the  rings  from 
mother's  and  "Sis's"  ears.  Having  satisfied  themselves,  or  rath- 
er loaded  themselves,  they  left  the  house  and  joined  their  com- 
rades at  the  public  well  and,  after  breaking  the  stocks  and 
twisting  or  bending  the  barrels  of  a  score  of  old  guns,  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  out  of  town.  They  had  not  been  gone 
more  than  two  hours  when  my  step-brothers,  accompanied  by 
the  James  boys,  all  direct  from  "Quantrel's  Band,"  and  well 
armed,  arrived.  We  succeeded  in  getting  together  twenty-one 
men,  including  ourselves,  and  followed  the  enemy.  Gearrie 
City,  Kansas,  a  small  town  on  the  Missouri,  some  five  miles 
distant,  was  the  headquarters  of  the  jayhawkers,  and  about 
daylight  the  next  morning  we  dashed  across  the  river  on  the 
ice,  and,  leaving  our  horses  under  the  bank  in  charge  of  three 
old  rrien,  proceeded  to  the  work  in  hand.  The  conflict  was 
brought  to  a  close  by  the  jayhawkers  fleeing  into  the  hills  and 
hollows  back  of  the  town  which  we  burned,  or  at  least  the 
business  portion  of  it.  John  Hart,  captain  of  the  jayhawkers, 
and  two  of  his  men  were  killed  and  several  others  seriously 
wounded.  Our  captain,  Uncle  Tom  Irving,  was  shot  through 
the  shoulders  and  two  or  three  others  slightly  hurt,  while  my 
clothes  were  in  several  places  pierced  by  the  enemies'  bullets. 
We  failed  to  recover  any  of  the  stolen  property,  but  succeeded 
in  teaching  our  Kansas  neighbors  a  lesson  which  to  some  ex- 
tent checked  their  forays  in  Missouri. 


CHAPTER    V. 

May  first  I  divided  what  money  I  had  with  my  step- 
mother and  sisters,  gave  my  pony  to  Ruth,  went  to  Atchison 
and  engaged  to  drive  a  team  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  The 
trip  was  pleasant  until  reaching  Fort  Kearney,  but  from  there 
to  the  base  of  the  mountains  the  road  was  almost  impassable 
on  account  of  rain,  besides  every  mile  of  it  was  beset  with 
dangers.  Fierce  and  barbarous  Sioux  warriors  lurketi  behind 
the  hills  and  in  the  hollows,  ever  on  the  alert  to  surprise  and 
kill  the  men  and  plunder  and  burn  the  trains  which  toiled 
wearily  through  the  unhospitable  lands.  For  extent  and  sever- 
ity the  perils  by  day  and  dangers  by  night  along  this  route 
were  without  parallel  in  the  history  of  human  events.  Owing 
to  the  small  number  of  troops  held  at  Forts  Laramie  and  Kear- 
ney, the  Indians  were  enabled  to  do  about  as  they  chose,  there- 
fore sudden  death  or  cruel  and  prolonged  torture  stared  us  in 
the  face  at  every  step.  The  wayside  was  lined  with  new 
graves  and  bleaching  bones — the  latter  having  been  stripped 
by  the  hungry  coyotes — of  unfortunate  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, who  had  fallen  in  the  hands  of  the  "noble  red  men." 

A  mule  train  of  eight  teams  was  traveling  with  us  for  safe- 
ty and  having  crossed  the  South  Platte  we  camped  for  break- 
fast. It  was  my  day  to  herd  and  I  drove  the  cattle  out  on  the 
prairie  where  there  was  better  grass  than  near  the  ford.  A 
young  man  came  out  with  the  mules  and  we  got  together  and 
were  having  fine  sport  shooting  prairie  dogs.  I  had  emptied  my 
pistols  and  sat  down  to  reload  them,  when  suddenly  the  cattle 
and!  mules  stampeded  and  my  companion  dashed  pa'st  me  shout- 
ing, "Indians,  Indians."  I  was  surprised  and  to  some  extent  dis- 
concerted at  the  suddenness  of  the  attack,  which  proved  con- 
clusively to  my  mind  the  correctness  of  the  warning  I  had  received 
from  Kit  Carson.  "Danger,"  he  said,  "is  never  so  near  as  when 
you  are  unprepared  for  it — never  so  remote  as  when  you  are  on  the 
alert  to  meet  it  at  any  moment."  He  also  said  that  a  bold  front 
and  an  apparent  indifference  to  present  danger  would  command 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  most  hostile  Indians.  These 
thoughts  with  lightning  rapidity  flashed  through  my  mind  and 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  51 

by  the  time  my  friend  had  breathed  his  last  I  was  as  calm  as 
a  summer  morning,  and  prepared  to  meet  the  consequences 
whatever  they  might  be.  A  powerful  warrior,  painted  in  the 
most  hideous  manner,  and  riding  an  American  horse,  dashed 
up  to  me.  I  instinctively  saw  that  I  was  to  be  taken  captive 
and  that  resistance  was  useless  or  equivalent  to  suicide.  I 
stretched  out  my  hands  toward  my  captor,  who  seized  my  arm, 
seated  me  on  the  horse  behind  him,  and  spurred  on  after  the 
herd  and  his  companions.  I  had  frequently  contemplated  mak- 
ing my  home  with  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  learning  their 
language,  observing  their  customs  and  studying  their  religious 
ceremon-es,  so  I  was  not  averse  to  going  with  them  on  this 
occasion,  and  my  apparent  willingness  to  do  so  prevented  their 
tying  me  as  expected.  They  took  my  pistols,  but  otherwise 
treated  me  with  marked  attention  and  kindness.  This  consid- 
erate gentleness  on  the  part  of  my  captors  was  owing  to  the 
fact  that  I  was  recognized  as  the  daughter  of  "Dutchy,"  and 
therefore  a  capital  prize  to  present  to  ''Antelope/'  who  was  now 
chief  of  his  tribe. 

My  captors  left  the  cattle,  but  pushed  the  mules  and  horses 
as  fast  as  possible,  and  by  midnight  reached  their  camp  on  the 
Dismal  River,  about  sixty  miles  north  of  North  Platte.  Here 
about  seventy-five  families  were  camped  while  the  main  body 
of  the  nation  was  quartered  on  the  Middle  Loup  River  still 
further  north.  On  arriving  at  the  camp  I  was  given  in  charge 
of  an  old  woman,  who,  perhaps,  was  the  mother  or  some  near 
relative  of  the  chief,  took  me  to  her  lodge  which  was  occupied 
by  herself  and  a  girl  about  my  own  size  and  age,  and  being 
very  tired  I  stretched  myself  on  the  buffalo  and  wolf  robes  and 
soon  passed  into  the  land  of  forgetfulness.  Next  morning  I  was 
promptly  called  to  breakfast  which  consisted  of  a  stew  of  jack- 
rabbits  and  prairie-dogs,  molasses,  hard-tack,  sugar  and  coffee. 
I  ate  heartily  of  all  that  was  spread  before  me  which  seemed  to 
pleased  my  entertainers  not  a  little,  for  Indians  love  to  see 
their  guests  eat  with  a  relish. 

While  the  young  and  thoughtless  members  of  the  camp 
were  enjoying  themselves  with  their  various  sports,  the  war- 
riors and  medicine-men  appeared  to  be  deeply  concerned  about 
something,  as  was  indicated  by  their  hog-like  grunts,  gestures, 
and  serious  faces  and  by  their  continual  looking  southward. 
"Antelope"  was  the  only  word  I  understood,  and  their  frequent 
use  of  it,  coupled  with  their  glances  in  my  direction,  convinced 
me  that  they  were  discussing  the  meeting  of  the  chief  with 
myself,  and  anxious  looks  showed  that  he  was  soon  expected 
to  arrive.  I  was  immediately  thrown  into  a  train  of  thoughts 


52  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

of  the  most  apprehensive  nature,  feeling  sure  that  "Antelope" 
would  claim  me  as  his  wife  which  would  result  in  my  exposure, 
and  as  a  natural  consequence  he  would  take  my  life  for  having 
deceived  him  on  a  former  occasion.  Various  modes  of  escape 
flashed  through  my  mind  but  before  arriving  at  a  definite  plan 
of  action  "Antelope"  and  his  band  of  warriors  reached  camp. 
Our  recognition  was  mutual  and  our  hands  met  in  a  friendly 
grasp.  I  was  really  glad  to  see  him  as  my  manner  indicated, 
and  his  actions  showed  that  he  was  equally  pleased  by  my  pres- 
ence. However,  he  made  no  improper  advances,  and  in  this 
proved  himself  a  gentleman  though  he  were  an  Indian.  He 
could  speak  English  sufficiently  well  for  me  to  understand  him 
and  at  once  inquired  about  "Dutchy,"  whom  he  styled  the 
"White  Chief,"  and  who,  I  told  him,  had  gone  to  fight  in  the 
pale-faces'  war  with  which  he  was  familiar. 

I  was  permitted  to  go  about  camp  at  will  and  seemingly 
unwatched.  This  privilege,  coupled  with  the  gentlemanly  man- 
ner in  which  "Antelope"  greeted  me,  and  the  confusion  occas- 
ioned by  his  arrival,  caused  me  to  forget  all  about  escaping. 
I  inferred  from  the  listless  tranquility  into  which  the  adult 
members  of  the  camp  had  fallen  after  dinner  that  there  was  no 
danger  apprehended  from  their  white  enemies,  so  I  secured  a 
lariat  and  ventured  out  among  the  boys  and  girls  whom  I  soon 
had  gyrating  about  to  prevent  my  lassoing  them  which  they 
enjoyed  as  much  as  myself. 

The  chief  and  his  party  had  captured  a  mule  train,  and 
after  killing  the  men,  loaded  their  horses  with  such  things  as 
they  wanted,  set  fire  to  the  wagons  and  brought  the  mules  and 
horses  away  with  them.  A  number  of  the  Indians  were  wound- 
ed, showing  that  the  white  men  had  defended  themselves  as 
best  they  could.  Among  the  wounded  was  a  brother  of  the 
chief,  who  was  shot  through  the  shoulder  with  a  gun  of  large 
caliber.  I  dressed  the  wound  for  him  as  tenderly  as  if  he  had 
been  my  own  brother  and  am  free  to  confess  I  felt  sorry  for 
him.  This  party  had  made  a  rich  haul  and  the  plunder  was 
thrown  together  in  a  pile  from  which  everybody  helped  himself 
or  herself,  a  "all-things-in-common"  sort  of  way  of  doing  busi- 
ness. I  selected  such  things  as  I  wanted  and  set  to  work  pre- 
paring dinner  for  "Antelope,"  his  brother  and  myself.  I  took 
the  wounded  man  some  hot  pancakes,  fried  dog  and  a  cup  of 
excellent  coffee,  which  he  devoured  with  the  utmost  satisfac- 
tion. The  chief  was  highly  pleased  with  my  attentions  toward 
his  brother,  and,  after  satisfying  his  own  appetite,  he  and  his 
wise  men  seated  themselves  in  front  of  the  "council  lodge"  to 
talk  over  the  late  events  and  boast  of  their  individual  achieve- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  53 

ments.  While  "Antelope"  and  his  generals  were  exulting  over 
past  and  planning  future  victories,  the  poor  old  women  were 
busy  carrying  fuel  for  lighting  up  the  dance  ground,  which 
was  about  the  size  of  and  similar  to  a  circus  ring,  and  which 
was  encircled  by  the  lodges  of  the  principal  families.  After 
dark  a  fire  was  started  in  the  center  of  the  ring  and  the  dance 
commenced,  in  which  everybody  who  was  able  to  jump  and 
howl  took  part.  The  old  women  kept  the  fire  going,  while  the 
marriageable  girls,  children  and  dogs  furnished  the  music  for 
the  warriors  and  young  men  to  dance  by.  This  dance  was 
given  in  praise  of,  and  a  thank-offering  to  the  "Great  Spirit," 
to  whom  they  attributed  their  recent  success  in  plundering 
the  "pale  faces."  From  early  morning  until  night  of  the  next 
day  the  whole  camp  was  kept  in  an  uproar.  The  boys  and  girls 
shouting  and  laughing;  the  old  women  bringing  fuel ;  the  war- 
riors busily  engaged  in  burnishing  up  their  weapons,  and  plum- 
ing themselves  for  the  war-dance1.  Just  before  sundown  Chief 
"Antelope"  appeared  in  full  dress,  in  the  hour  of  his  glory,  with 
the  whole  tribe  out  to  admire  him  as  he  swept  around  the  camp 
on  his  mystic  war-horse.  His  head  dress  was  adorned  with  a 
crest  of  war-eagle's  feathers,  which  rose  in  a  waving  ridge 
above  his  shapely  brow,  and  almost  sweeping  the  ground  be- 
hind him ;  a  round,  white  shield  with  feathers  and  stained  por- 
cupine quills  alternately  attached  and  radiating  from  the  center 
'ke  a  star,  hung  from  his  breast ;  his  bow  and  quiver  of  arrows 
at  his  back,  while  in  his  hand  he  held  a  fine  needle-gun,  whose 
bright  bands  flashed  against  the  declining  sun ;  and  from  his 
belt  fluttered  the  scalps  of  his  enemies  together  with  the  scalp- 
ing-knife  and  terrible  tomahawk.  Thus  arrayed  he  rode  around 
and  around  the  circle  of  lodges,  balancing  himself  gracefully  to 
the  free  movements  of  his  noble  horse,  while,  with  an  air  of 
reverence  depicted  in  his  handsome  face,  he  rendered  his  song 
praise  and  gratitude  to  the  "Great  Spirit."  Young  warriors 
looked  askance  at  him,  vermillion  cheeked  skirls  gazed  in  ad- 
miration, boys  shouted  in  a  thrill  of  delight,  and  old  women 
yelled  forth  his  name  and  proclaimed  his  virtues — such,  no 
doubt,  as  were  bestowed  on  the  shepherd  boy — from  lodge  to 
lodsre,  while  I,  motionless  and  silent,  looked  upon  the  scene 
with  reverential  awe,  and  wondered  what  the  magnificent  dis- 
play of  horsemanship,  finery,  trinkets  and  charms  portended. 
I  subsequently  learned  that  this  exhibition  was  intended  to  in- 
spire the  young  warriors  with  confidence  in  their  chief,  and  fill 
them  with  patriotic  ambition. 

The  most  conspicuous  and  the  most  curious  things  about 
the  chief  as  he  rode  around  the  camp  were  his  charms,  which, 


54  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

to  me,  were  merely  pretty  and  curiously  devised  ornaments, 
but,  to  the  Indians,  they  spoke  in  terms  more  eloquent  and 
impressive  than  would,  to  the  school  boy,  the  utterances  of 
Wendell  Phillips,  or  the  eloquence  of  a  Depew.  The  wearing 
of  charms  is  a  common  characteristic  among  the  red  men  of 
every  tribe  and  nation.  They  all  have  a  tutilary  spirit  and 
wear  badges  representing  it  and  their  gods ;  they  also  wear 
various  charms  for  divers  purposes,  some  to  ward  off  sickness, 
others  to  shield  them  from  harm,  and  still  others  to  promote 
success  in  their  undertakings.  After  dark  the  dancers  began 
circling  round  and  round,  each  figure  brightly  illumined  by  the 
fire  in  the  center  of  the  ring,  and  on  each  warrior's  breast  was 
an  emblem  denoting  his  character.  I  saw  nothing  indicating 
the  wolf  or  the  coyote,  for  the  reason  that  these  animals  are 
considered  mean  and  cowardly ;  but  the  fox,  hare,  buffalo,  bear, 
horse,  antelope  and  war  eagle  all  had  representatives  at  the 
dance.  When  the  first  dancers  became  tired  and  withdrew 
from  the  ring  a  startling  yell  was  given,  fresh  warriors  leaped 
into  the  circle  and  with  faces  toward  the  moonlit  sky,  stamped, 
whooped,  jumped  stiff-kneed,  brandished  their  weapons  and 
went  through  all  the  motions  that  were  likely  to  engage  them 
when  in  actual  conflict  with  the  enemy. 

I  have  seen  some  wonderful  things  in  my  time,  but  nothing 
half  so  fantastical,  nothing  so  awe  inspiring  as  the  "war  dance/' 
Many  men  have  endeavored  to  give  an  intelligent  pen  picture 
of  it,  but  all  have  failed.  It  arouses  the  motions  that  cannot 
by  word  or  pen  be  conveyed  to  another.  One  may  see  it  for 
himself  in  order  to  feel  its  charm,  appreciate  its  artistic  merit 
and  fully  understand  its  terrible  significance.  The  dance  was 
continued  until  midnight,  when  the  heavens  were  pierced  with 
a  loud,  shrill  and  peculiar  note  from  a  whistle,  horn  or  the 
throat  of  a  warrior.  From  whatever  it  proceeded  it  had  a  mag- 
ical effect  upon  the  spectators,  as  well  as  the  dancers,  as  the 
ring  was  instantly  vacated,  the  watchers  and  musicians  dis- 
persed, and  in  less  than  ten  minutes  the  entire  camp  was 
shrouded  in  a  deathlike  stillness.  I  was  left  alone  to  find  my 
way  to  my  quarters  the  best  I  could,  and  on  my  way  to  the 
tent  discovered  Chief  "Antelope"  in,  what  I  thought,  a  strange 
attitude  for  an  Indian.  He  was  on  his  knees  in  front  of  his 
lodge  with  face  upturned  and  his  eyes  riveted  on  something" 
invisible  to  me  in  the  heavens.  I  waited  until  he  was  through 
with  his  prayer  or  communion  with  the  "Great  Spirit,"  which 
seemed  an  hour,  and  then  approached  him.  He  motioned  to  me 
to  sit  down  on  the  buffalo  robes  at  his  side,  which  I  did,  and 
after  talking  sometime,  ventured  to  ask  what  he  was  doing  on 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  55 

his  knees,  and  his  reply  was,  "Me  love  Great  Spirit  heapmuch." 
He  then  pointed  to  various  bright  stars,  muttered  something  in 
Indian  about  each  of  them,  and  then  turning  his  eyes  and  finger 
toward  the  silver  moon,  said,  "Great  Spirit  up  there,  me  all 
time  see  him  face."  This  pagan  philosopher,  magician  and  as- 
trologer deeply  interested  me  as  he  had  much  to  say  about  the 
planets,  the  "Great  Spirit"  and  the  "Happy  Hunting  Ground." 
He  was  so  wrought  up  by  the  dance,  his  prayer  or  communion 
with  the  unseen,  and  I  was  so  struck  with  wonder  and  admira- 
tion at  his  devotion  and  faith  in  the  Heavenly  Master  that  we 
were  unaware  of  the  time  until  there  appeared  the  beautiful 
morning  star  to  which  he  pointed  and  said,  "Me  call  him  little 
moon,"  then  patting  my  head  he  added,  "Me  call  you  little 
moon  too."  I  told  him  my  name  was  Charles  K.  Polk,  and  that 
I  was  named  after  one  of  the  "great  fathers"  at  Washington, 
but  he  insisted  that  I  should  bear  the  above  name  and  said, 
"Maybe  one  snow,  maybe  two  snows,  little  moon  go  to  wig- 
wam with  Antelope."  Then  leading  me  by  the  hand  to  within 
a  few  rods  of  my  lodge  he  said,  "Go,  little  moon  must  sleep, 
Indian  heap  sleep,  much  good."  With  this  he  wheeled  and 
walked  rapidly  to  his  own  lodge  and  having  seen  him  enter  it  I 
retired  myself. 

The  only  occupants  of  my  lodge  were  the  same  old  woman 
and  girl.  I  lay  down  on  some  buffalo  robes  but  could  not  sleep 
for  thinking  of  the  peril  and  strangeness  of  my  situation,  be- 
sides the  peculiar  "thumpty  bang"  of  the  tom-tom  and  the  aw- 
ful war  whoop  continued  to  ring  in  my  ears,  and  the  chief's 
remarks  about  my  going  to  the  lodge  with  him  threw  me  into 
an  apprehensive  and  thoughtful  mood.  He  had  formally  post- 
poned our  marriage  for  at  least  one  year,  but  this  temporary 
delay  did  not  relieve  me  from  the  dangers  and  probability  of 
exposing  myself  when  asleep,  or  from  the  chances  of  my  sex 
being  discovered  by  the  lynx-eyed  girls,  who,  like  Mary's  lamb, 
persisted  in  following  me  wherever  I  went.  My  father  taught 
me  that  a  liar  under  any  circumstances  is  loathsome  to  honest 
white  men,  and  a  most  abominable  wretch  in  the  eye's  of  an  In- 
dian, therefore  exposure  simply  meant  death,  or  still  worse., 
prolonged  torture,  and  I  knew  that  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time 
when  my  deception  would  be  discovered.  From  the  harrowing- 
consequences  of  an  exposure  I  turned  to  contemplate  the  scenes 
painted  on  the  walls  of  my  lodge.  I  had  not  previously  noted 
these  paintings,  but  now  when  a  little  blaze  from  the  fire  in 
the  center  of  the  lodge  would  shoot  up,  they  attracted  my  at- 
tention and  I  carefully  studied  them.  On  the  right  was  a  scene 
of  a  battle  between  the  Sioux  and  the  the  warriors  of  some 


56  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

other  nation.  On  the  left  were  various  designs  of  peculiar  di- 
mensions which  were  no  doubt  calculated  to  represent  the  gods 
of  the  owners  of  the  lodge.  Between  these  two  scenes  was  one 
of  a  white  man  bound  to  a  stake  and  undergoing  the  torture  of 
fire.  The  figures  of  the  former  pictures  were  imperfectly  drawn 
if  the  design  of  the  artist  was  clearly  seen;  while  the  latter 
painting  was  executed  by  a  master  hand  and  one  no  doubt  that 
had  participated  in  the  scene  in  its  horrible  reality.  I  looked 
upon  this  picture  as  foretelling  my  own  fate.  Horrible  as  it 
was,  I  could  not  help  admiring  it,  and  finally  dropped  into  sleep 
with  the  whole  scene  rushing  through  my  mind,  and  dreamed 
that  the  old  woman  had  discovered  my  character  and  reported 
same  to  the  chief,  who  ordered  me  to  the  stake.  I  saw  the 
women  as  they  placed  the  brush  and  wood  around  me ;  the  boys 
and  girls  spit  in  my  face  and  tread  on  my  fingers  as  I  lay  bound 
and  helpless.  The  old  woman  was  appointed  master  of  cere- 
monies as  a  reward  for  her  cunning  and,  when  all  was  ready, 
chief  "Antelope,"  whose  hitherto  noble  countenance  now  had 
the  appearance  of  a  fiend  and  having  given  the  order  to  com- 
mence the  torture,  she  plunged  a  fine  splinter,  with  its  outer 
end  on  fire,  into  my  side.  This  was  so  real  that  I  awoke,  and 
rushed  out  of  the  lodge  with  the  determination  to  escape  the 
first  opportunity  afforded  me. 

The  forenoon  was  half  spent,  but  I  saw  no  preparations 
being  made  to  send  out  a  war  party  as  I  had  understood  "An- 
telope" to  say  he  intended  doing.  He  was  waiting  for  rein- 
forcements, and  the  delay  thus  occasioned  was  highly  favor- 
able to  my  plans.  The  war  party,  of  course,  would  go  south 
in  order  to  strike  the  emigrant  and  fighting  outfits,  and  I 
knew  that  if  it  started  before  I  did  I  would  be  obliged  to  await 
its  return,  or  take  the  chances  of  meeting  it  after  I  had  left  the 
camp.  I  boldly  accosted  "Antelope"  and  said :  "Great  Chief  is 
not  going  on  the  war  path  today."  "Maybe  so,  yes,  some 
young  man — pointing  to  the  north — coming  to  go  with  "An- 
telope," one  sleep,  maybe  not."  It  was  evident  from  his 
restlessness  that  he  was  momentarily  expecting  the  young 
warriors,  which  convinced  me  that  I  must  act  promptly  or 
not  at  all,  and  I  said,  "T  do  not  like  white  men,  and  will  shoot 
them  so  "Antelope"  can  take  many  scalps."  Drawing  my 
pistol  ^and  pointing  to  a  buffalo  skull,  I  said,  "See  pale  face," 
and  fired  a  ball  through  it,  which  pleased  the  chief  very 
much.  He  patted  mv  head  and  said  something  in  his  own 
language  which  I  did  not  understand. 

Mr.  Thompson,  our  wagon  foreman,  and  half  owner  of 
the  train,  had  once  traveled  with  a  circus  in  the  capacity  of 
a  horse  trainer,  and  had  taught  many  tricks  to  his  fine  sad- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  57 

die  mare,  who,  owing  to  my  kindness  to  her,  performed  as 
readily  for  me  as  for  her  master.  I  have  always  loved  horses, 
and  naturally  put  in  many  an  hour  petting  and  rubbing  this 
noble  animal,  and  for  which  gentle  care  I  was  allowed  to  ride 
her  on  my  regular  herd  day,  therefore  on  the  day  of  my  cap- 
ture she  was  driven  off  with  the  other  horses.  She  was  a 
bright  bay,  with  white  legs  and  face,  and  in  Indian  phrase- 
ology was  called  "Pale  Face  Squaw  Horse/'  All  the  horses, 
including  those  taken  from  the  white  men,  were  kept  on  the 
stream  some  distance  below  camp,  and  not  having  seen  the 
mare  since  my  arrival,  I  had  not  thought  much  about  her, 
besides  my  mind  had  been  fully  occupied  with  the  strange, 
fascinating  scenes  of  Indian  life,  but  on  the  morning  in  ques- 
tion the  whole  herd  was  brought  near  camp.  The  mare  and 
a  few  of  the  American  horses  were  picketed  on  the  grass  by 
long  lariats  to  prevent  their  running  away.  When  I  saw  her 
my  soul  leaped  for  joy.  I  felt  certain  that  once  on  her  back 
I  would  be  perfectly  safe. , 

After  the  chief  finished  his,  to  me,  unintelligible  remarks, 
I  said,  pointing  to  one  of  the  men,  "Pale  face  squaw  horse  is 
mine.  I  will  ride  her  and  go  with  'Antelope'  to  fight  the 
white  men."  He  replied,  "Little  moon  heap  good  shoot,  heap 
much  brave,  heap  much  stay  at  camp.  'Antelope'  bring  heap 
pale  face  scalps."  I  inferred  from  this  courteous  but  em- 
phatic answer  that  I  would  not  be  allowed  to  accompany  him 
on  the  war  path,  nor  did  I  want  to,  my  object  being  to  get  on 
the  mare  through  his  permission,  and  his  prompt  refusal  to 
acceed  to  my  wishes  put  me  out  a  little,  but  I  rallied  to  the 
charge  again,  and  I  told  him  I  wished  to  ride  her  and  catch 
for  him  a  wild  pony  with  a  lasso.  He  readily  agreed  to  this 
proposition,  and  started  a  young  man  to  bring  her  to  camp. 
I  stopped  him,  and,  stepping  out  so  the  mare  could  see  me, 
put  two  fingers  in  my  mouth  and  gave  a  shrill  whistle.  She 
recognized  the  familiar  note  and  answered  me  with  a  loud 
and  prolonged  whinny.  I,  in  my  eagerness  and  forgetting 
she  was  staked  out,  whistled  again,  and  this  time  she  saw  me 
and  came  bounding  toward  me.  The  force  with  which  she 
came  against  the  picket  rope  caused  it  to  part,  thus  setting 
herself  free.  She  dashed  up  to  my  side  and  put  her  nose 
against  my  cheek  as  if  she  would  kiss  me.  After  fondling  her 
a  minute,  I  made  her  lay  Jown,  roll  over,  then  get  up  and 
stand  on  her  hind  feet.  If  the  Indians  were  surprised  by 
former  feats  of  shooting,  lassoing  and  horsemanship,  they 
were  now  dumbfounded  with  the  performances  with  the  mare. 
They  regarded  me  with  that  speechless  awe  and  wonder  which 
characterizes  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  of  all  peoples,  of 


58  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

whatever  color.  Having,  as  it  were,  hypnotized  the  spec- 
tators through  the  tricks  of  the  intelligent  animal,  I  then  put 
Mr.  Thompson's  saddle  and  bridle  on  her — my  pistols  already 
having  been  restored  to  me  by  the  chiefs  order — and,  with 
lasso  in  hand,  sprang  into  the  saddle  and  asked  "Antelope"" 
which  pony  I  should  catch  for  him.  He  pointed  to  a  white 
one  on  the  outskirts  of  the  herd,  and  said,  "Little  Moon  heap 
catch  white  pony."  At  a  touch  the  mare  sprang  forward  and 
at  the  right  moment  I  cast  the  lasso,  the  loop  of  which  set- 
tled gracefully  over  the  pony's  head,  whereupon  an  enthusi- 
astic cheer  from  the  Indians  rang  out  on  the  air.  I  was  now 
out  of  range  of  their  guns  and  free  to  act,  yet  I  hesitated  to 
betray  such  implicit  confidence  as  the  chief  had  reposed  in 
me,  but,  thinking  of  the  fate  awaiting  me  should  my  sex  be 
discovered,  I  hesitated  no  longer,  and  turning  the  mare's  head 
from  the  camp  I  dashed  away  toward  Platte  River. 

When  the  Indians  saw  that  I  was  actually  deserting 
them  a  terrible  commotion  ensued.  The  women  and  children 
set  up  a  terrible  howl,  while  the  warriors,  a  dozen  or  more, 
with  "Antelope"  at  their  head,  started  in  pursuit.  I  let  them 
gain  on  me  for  a  while,  then  gave  the  mare  the  rein  and  she 
left  them  so  fast  that  they  became  disgusted  with  their  short- 
legged  ponies  and  stopped  the  chase,  at  least  I  saw  no  more  of 
them.  About  half  past  eight  o'clock,  and  before  the  men  had 
had  their  supper,  I  rode  into  the  corral  and  was  greeted  with 
cheers  and  compliments  from  my  comrades,  while  Mr.  Thomp- 
son shed  joyous  tears  as  he  looked  at  me  from  the  mare's 
back. 

The  men  of  the  mule  train  buried  their  unfortunate  com- 
panion on  the  spot  where  killed,  now  the  site  of  Ogalalla,  Ne- 
braska. They  recognized  the  futility  of  undertaking  to  re- 
cover their  stock  and  my  friends  had  abandoned  all  hope  of 
ever  seeing  me  again.  Another  large  ox  train  had  joined 
Mr.  Thompson's,  and  between  the  two  there  were  enough 
cattle  spared  to  haul  the  wagons  of  the  distressed  and  sor- 
rowing mule  men,  and  when  I  returned  they  were  all  camped 
together — the  combined  force  of  the  two  trains  numbering 
eighty-five  men  and  three  boys,  including  myself.  The  next 
day  at  noon,  while  I  was  out  playing  with  the  mare,  Mr. 
Thompson  was  interviewing  the  other  proprietors,  who 
agreed  with  him  to  employ  me  at  one  hundred  dollars  per 
month  to  act  as  scout  and  hunter  for  the  whole  company.  Mr. 
Thompson  called  me  to  him,  and,  after  acquainting  me  with 
their  decision,  said  if  I  would  undertake  the  dangerous  task  I 
should  have  the  "pale-face  squaw-horse"  to  ride.  I  accepted 
the  proposition  with  all  the  zeal  and  heartiness  of  which 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


59 


youthful  ambition  and  a  daring  nature  are  capable,  and  after 
dinner  I  saddled  the  mare,  and,  with  rifle  laying  across  my 
lap,  as  was  the  custom  of  frontiersmen,  started  out  on  my 
first  scouting  expedition.  The  mare,  Molly,  and  myself,  ow- 
ing to  our  late  dash  of  about  eighty-five  miles,  with  but  one 
stop  for  a  few  minutes  on  North  Platte,  were  quite  stiff,  and 
for  a  few  days  I  did  not  venture  far  from  the  .camp,  but  hav- 
ing worked  off  the  effects  of  that  terrible  ride,  I  dared  to  go 
as  far  from  the  road  as  I  chose.  One  day  as  we  drew  near  the 
mountains  I  wandered  some  five  miles  from  the  road  in  search 
of  game,  but  failed  to  find  anything,  and  becoming  hungry, 
I  turned  the  mare  toward  camp  again.  The  noble  animal  had 
several  times  warned  me  that  Indians  were  near  us,  but  I  paid 
not  the  slightest  attention  to  her  for  the  reason  that  I  had  be- 
come foolhardy  and  insanely  reckness.  I  had,  perhaps,  ridden 
two  or  three  miles  in  the  direction  of  the  camp,  when  the 


Entirely  Surrounded  by  Indians — Fights  His  Way  Out. 


mare  suddenly  snorted,  struck  the  ground  viciously  with  her 
front  feet  and  tried  to  run.  "Perhaps  I  had  better  take  a 
view  of  the  surrounding  country,"  I  thought ;  so  I  rode  out 
of  the  coulie  which  I  had  been  following  in  the  hope  of  find- 


60  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  a  buffalo  or  deer  at  one  of  the  pools  of  water  along  its 
course  onto  the  high  prairie,  and  behold  I  was  almost  com- 
pletely surrounded  by  Indians.  They  had  heard  of  my  es- 
cape from  "Antelope,"  and  were  bent  on  recapturing  me 
alive.  By  drawing  a  line  of  warriors  around  me  they  hoped 
to  fill  me  with  consternation  and  awe  me  into  an  immediate 
surrender.  The  line  was  fast  closing  on  me,  an<f  one  of  two 
things  must  be  done — meekly  give  myself  into  their  hands  and 
suffer  the  consequences,  or  make  a  bold  dash  through  the  line 
for  liberty.  I  chose  the  latter  alternative,  and  slipping  my 
rifle  into  a  loop  kept  on  the  horn  of  the  saddle  for  that  pur- 
pose, dropped  the  bridle  reins,  and  guiding  the  mare  by  simply 
pressing  her  with  the  knee,  drew  both  pistols  and  dashed  to- 
ward the  line  of  warriors,  who  rushed  from  the  right  and  left 
to  cut  me  off.  I  dropped  four  of  them  from  their  horses,  thus 
making  a  gap  through  the  line,  through  which  I  passed  un- 
harmed, though  the  fringe  on  my  buckskin  shirt  and  pants 
was  cut  off  in  several  places  by  their  shots.  In  the  start  my 
hat  blew  off  and  my  long  black  hair  waving  in  the  breeze- 
disclosed  my  identity  to  a  certainty,  which  made  the  Indians 
doubly  anxious  to  capture  me,  and  about  fifty  warriors  chased 
me  to  within  half  a  mile  of  camp,  when  they  suddenly  stop- 
ped, viewed  the  situation,  and  rode  away  toward  their  com- 
rades. Two  days  later  the  train  entered  the  mountains,  the 
home  of  the  Utes,  who,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  peaceable 
toward  the  whites,  but  were  inveterate  enemies  of  the  Sioux, 
hence  the  latter  did  not  dare  to  follow  us  into  the  dominion 
of  the  former. 

While  on  the  plains,  owing  to  the  marauding  bands  of 
Indians,  game  was  extremely  scarce,  and  I  often  had  to  carry 
my  belts  of  cartridges  and  my  disappointment  (which  was 
much  heavier)  back  to  camp.  I  had  killed  a  goodly  number 
of  sage  hens,  prairie  dogs  and  jack  rabbits,  but  these  were  in- 
sufficient to  appease  the  appetites  of  so  large  a  party;  be- 
sides when  able  bodied  men  in  that  country  sit  down  to  eat, 
fresh  meat  vanishes  before  them  like  dry  grass  before  a  prairie 
fire.  But  after  entering  the  mountains  I  had  no  trouble  in 
furnishing  the  entire  party  with  all  the  fresh  meat  it  could 
consume.  Elk,  deer  and  mountain  sheep  were  very  plentiful, 
and  the  Laramie  plains  were  literally  alive  with  antelope. 
These  fleet-footed,  timid  little  creatures  are  as  full  of  curi- 
osity as  a  woman  and  are  as  easily  beguiled.  A  necklace  of 
precious  stones  and  gold  bracelets  have  lured  unnumbered 
scores  of  the  latter  to  ruin,  while  a  red  silk  handkerchief,  or 
other  red  flag,  has  enticed  thousands  of  the  former  to  an  un- 
timely end,  and  they  have  been  known  to  follow  a  covered 
wagon  for  miles,  while  the  wily  red  man,  standing  erect, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  61 

wrapped  erect  in  his  red  blanket,  never  fails  to  draw  them 
within  reach  of  his  deadly  arrow.  On  one  occasion  near  the 
crossing  of  Medicine  Bow,  and  while  seated  behind  my  red 
silk  handkerchief,  I  shot  down  five  of  these  beautiful  animals, 
and  could,  no  doubt,  have  killed  the  whole  herd  had  I  so  de- 
sired, for  they  not  only  gazed  intently  at  the  decoy,  but  grad- 
ually approached  it  until  I  arose  to  my  feet,  when  they 
wheeled  and  scampered  away.  I  disemboweled  those  I  had 
killed,  and,  by  attaching  my  lariat  to  the  neck  of  one,  then  to 
the  saddle  horn,  drew  them,  one  by  one,  with  the  mare  to  the 
road,  where  they  were  picked  up  when  the  train  came  along. 
By  this  process  I  delivered  at  the  road  most  all  my  game,  but 
when  far  away  I  cut  off  the  "saddle"  (hind  quarters)  and  car- 
ried it  in  front  of  me  to  the  road  or  tent. 

The  plains,  with  its  pretty  little  animals,  great  herds  of 
buffalo,  immense  clouds  of  quail,  prairie  chickens,  sage  hens, 
grouse,  and  beautiful  streams,  was  very  pleasing  and  inter- 
esting to  me.  My  imagination  kept  me  in  an  intoxicated 
state,  so  that  I  was  constantly  anticipating  scenes  that  never 
appeared.  I  well  remember  with  what  eagerness  and  delight 
I  rode  with  "Dutchy,"  when  on  our  first  trip  to  Fort  Laramie, 
the  five  or  more  miles  across  the  hills  to  the  famous  "Court 
House  Rock,"  on  North  Platte  River.  I  also  remember  my 
disappointment  on  arriving  at  this  immense  pile  of  sand-stone, 
for  I  had  expected  to  see  a  great  castle — which  it  resembled 
from  the  road — with  its  internal  belongings  complete.  Hun- 
dreds of  names  were  carved  in  the  soft  stone,  so  "Dutchy" 
and  I  followed  the  example.  Climbing  up  its  side  as  far  as 
any  one  had  been,  I  stood  on  his  shoulders  and  cut  our  names 
above  all  others  in  the  face  of  this  famous  landmark. 

While  I  was  ever  charmed  and  pleased  with  every  turn 
in  the  road  while  on  the  plains,  I  was  as  certainly  doomed  to 
disappointment  in  my  ideal,  which  was  fully  realized  in  the 
mountains,  whose  snow-capped  peaks  filled  me  with  wonder 
and  whose  lofty  sides  were  covered  with  a  dense  forest,  which 
impregnated  the  air  with  the  odor  of  pine  and  cedar,  giving 
it  a  bracing  and  exhilirating  influence  on  the  physical  system ; 
while  the  magnificent  scenery  of  mighty  cliffs,  terrific  walls, 
huge  rocky  towers  and  pine  shaded  glens,  beautiful  sweet  sing- 
ing birds,  the  sleek  elk,  the  pretty  cotton-tail  and  the  sprightly 
big  horn  all  presented  at  one  view,  often  held  me  in  the  em- 
brace of  enchantment  for  hours  at  a  time  on  the  summit  of 
some  sky  piercing  peak.  I  never  tired  of  looking  at  these 
wondrous  beauty  scenes  of  God's  mighty  work.  I  rode  up  one 
canyon  and  down  another,  from  mountain  top  to  mountain 
top,  always  feasting  my  eyes  on  the  beautiful  pictures  of 
nature;  and  when  I  came  to  a  place  too  steep  to  ride,  I  dis- 


62  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

mounted  and,  leaving  Molly  (my  mare)  to  graze  on  the  rich 
bunch  grass,  would  clamber  to  the  top  of  some  shattered, 
splintered  crag  to  see  what  lay  beyond. 

On  reaching  Elk  Mountain  (so  called  by  reason  of  the 
abundance  of  elk  to  be  found  on  its  broad  sides  and  in  its  deep 
canyons)  I  rode  "Molly"  to  the  extreme  top  of  it,  which  is 
far  above  the  timber  line.  Here  I  had  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  surrounding  country.  I  could  see  Laramie's  Peak  and  the 
Black  Hills,  the  Laramie  Plains,  the  Medicine  Bow  Valley, 
through  which  flowed  the  Medicine  Bow  River,  the  latter,  as 
it  wound  it  way  toward  the  North  Platte,  resembling  a  thread 
of  silver  drawn  through  a  field  of  gold. 

Echo  Canyon,  through  which  the  road  lay,  was  a  marvel- 
ous curiosity  to  me.  On  the  left,  going  west,  is  a  high  moun- 
tain ;  on  the  right  a  perpendicular  wall,  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  high,  and  along  the  edge  of  this  mighty  precipice — ten  or 
fifteen  miles  long,  and  at.  the  base  of  which  lay  the  wagon 
road — Brigham  Young  had  placed,  by  his  followers,  huge 
boulders,  with  which  he  intended  crushing  the  army  of  Gen- 
eral Johnston.  I  found  my  way  to  the  top  of  the  precipice, 
and  with  feelings  of  awe  contemplated  the  terrible  purpose 
of  the  sagacious  and  determined  Mormon  leader.  I  was  hor- 
rified by  thought  of  the  destruction  of  life  had  Mr.  Johnston 
walked  into  the  trap,  and  filled  with  admiration  by  the  inge- 
nuity of  the  bold  commander,  and  readily  recognized  the 
practicability  of  his  monstrous  scheme.  One  of  those  heavy 
boulders,  falling  hundreds  of  feet,  striking  on  solid  rock,  must 
have  burst  like  a  bomb-shell  and,  doubtless  with  as  deadly  ef- 
fect. Passing  down  this  wonderful  canyon  the  teamsters 
shouted  and  popped  their  big  whips,  while  I  fired  my  pistols 
in  rapid  succession,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  echo,  which 
was  a  conglomeration  of  peculiar  yet  fascinating  sounds. 

On  the  morning  of  our  last  drive,  before  reaching  Salt 
Lake  City,  I  rode  to  the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  from  which 
I  obtained  a  full  view  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  Lake,  Salt 
Lake,  Utah  and  Tooele  Valleys.  All  I  have  said  of  the  scenic 
qualities  and  attractions  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  of  the 
loveliness  of  the  plains  sinks  into  insignificance  when  com- 
pared to  the  picture  of  surpassing  beauty  I  beheld  on  this 
lovely  August  morning.  The  city  was  shrouded  in  foliage, 
part  forest  and  part  fruit  trees,  and  nothing  could  be  seen 
but  the  tops  of  the  houses.  The  great  Salt  Lake,  from  which 
the  city  derives  its  name,  and  from  the  blue  depths  of  which 
spring  majestic  island  mountains,  was  visible  for  many  leagues 
to  the  northwest,  while  along  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  once 
so  barren  and  pronounced  worthless  and  useless  by  Old  Jim 
Bridger,  who  proposed  to  the  first  Mormon  settlers  to  take  all 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  63 

the  wheat  they  could  raise  at  ten  dollars  per  bushel,  were 
many  happy  homes,  with  broad  fields  covered  with  shocks 
and  stacks  of  golden  grain.  As  I,  in  a  sort  of  bewilderment, 
gazed  upon  this  indescribable  and  unequal  loveliness  of  the 
lakes  and  valleys,  bordered  by  the  grandeur  of  lofty  moun- 
tains and  the  entire  panorama  set  off  by  a  city  whose  mani- 
fold charms  and  attractions  have  few  equals  and  no  superiors 
in  the  American  continent,  I  felt,  if  I  did  not  utter,  the  senti- 
ments so  beautifully  expressed  by  Byron :  "Truly  there  is  no 
scene  on  earth  that  equals  this,"  and  which  might  with  rea- 
sonable appropriateness  be  denominated  the  "promised  land." 
When  I  saw  the  train  emerge  from  Emigration  Canyon 
and  file  out  across  the  "bench,"  of  plateau,  on  which  Salt  Lake 
City  is  situated,  and  which  was  once  the  shores  of  a  great 
inland  sea,  I  came  down  from  my  lofty  prospect,  joined  Mr. 
Thompson,  and  rode  on  ahead  of  the  train  with  him  to  the 
city.  I  decided  to  remain  in  the  city  and,  after  receiving  my 
pay,  went  up  town,  bought  me  a  suit  of  new  clothes  and  gave 
a  barber  five  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  bathing  in  a  tub  of 
cold  water  in  his  back  room,  and  for  his  services  in  cleaning 
and  combing  my  hair,  which  hung  in  ringlets  on  my  shoul- 
ders. Having  thoroughly  cleansed  myself  of  sand,  alkali  dust 
and  parasites,  so  universal  with  plainsmen  at  that  time,  and 
having  arrayed  myself  in  "purple  and  fine  linen,"  started  out 
to  find  my  uncle,  Leonard  I.  Smith,  who,  having  been  a 
member  of  the  Mormon  church  since  1850,  was  a  respected 
and  prominent  citizen  of  Mormondom,  and  who,  being  a 
United  States  mail  contractor,  and  proprietor  of  two  stage 
lines,  was,  of  course,  Quite  wealthy  and  well  known,  even  to 
the  laymen  of  his  faith.  I  found  him  in  Lawrence  and  Kim- 
ball's  grocery  store  on  Main  street,  and,  after  making  myself 
known  to  him,  was  taken  in  a  carriage  to  his  home  and  intro- 
duced to  his  wife  and  children.  Next  morning  I  went  down 
to  Emigrant  Square  to  see  my  friends  off  for  Missouri,  and, 
like  King  Agrippa,  was  "almost  persuaded"  to  accompany 
them,  and  would  have  done  so  perhaps  had  Uncle  Leonard  not 
excited  my  curiosity  by  his  wonderful  accounts  about  the  city 
"ball-room"  and  "theater"  and  other  attractions.  He  said  if 
I  would  remain  over  winter,  or  longer,  his  house  should  be 
my  home ;  that  he  would  take  me  with  him  and  family  to  the 
dance-hall — at  that  time  a  Gentile  could  not  enter  a  ball-room 
without  a  friend  or  relative  to  secure  his  ticket  or  vouch  for 
him — where  I  should  have  the  extraordinary  privilege  of  danc- 
ing with  President  Young's  daughters.  With  these  promises 
of  pleasure  and  distinction  ringing  in  my  ears  I  was  enabled 
to  withstand  the  appeals  of  my  late  comrades  to  return  with 
them.  The  train  being  about  ready  to  depart,  I  proposed  buy- 


64  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  "Mollie,"  the  "pale-face  squaw-horse,"  from  Mr.  Thomp- 
son. He  said  she  was  virtually  mine  already,  as  he  had  not 
expected  to  see  her  again  after  being  driven  away  by  the  In- 
dians. "Therefore,"  said  he,  "I  present  her  to  you  as  a  ma- 
terial token  of  my  respect  for  you  personally,  and  further  as 
an  evidence  of  my  appreciation  of  the  valuable  service  you 
have  rendered  me."  Of  course,  I  accepted  with  appropriate 
thanks  this  excellent  gift  from  one  whom  I  had  learned  to  love 
and  respect  as  a  very  dear  friend.  With  what  propriety  he 
used  the  expression  "valuable  service,"  may  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  I  had,  on  several  occasions,  at  the  risk  of  my  own 
life,  prevented  the  train  from  being  surprised  and,  perhaps, 
utterly  destroyed  by  the  Indians,  besides  furnishing  the  men 
with  fresh  meat,  thus  saving  him  several  hundred  pounds  of 
bacon,  which  at  that  time  was  worth  in  Salt  Lake  City  sev- 
enty-five cents  per  pound.  After  bidding  the  boys  good-bye 
and  giving  Mr.  Thompson's  hand  a  friendly  shake,  I  led  the 
mare  away  amid  shouts  of  "Farewell,  Charlie,"  and  "God  be 
with  you  till  we  meet  again."  Well,  God  has  been  with  me 
or  I  should  not  be  penning  these  incidents  of  my  boyhood 
days. 

Uncle  informed  me  that  theatre  going  and  dancing  were 
the  principal  amusements  of  the  period.  Each  ward  was  sup- 
plied with  a  large,  one-story  school  house,  in  which  the  hum- 
ble, confiding  saints  "tripped  the  light  fantastic  toe"  once  or 
twice  each  week,  while  the  city's  elite  gathered  at  the  "hall" 
for  the  same  purpose.  "Now,  Charles,"  said  my  uncle,  "you 
ought  to  have  a  good  time  this  winter."  "Yes,  sir ;  that's  what 
I  live  for."  "Well,  the  first  thing  you  must  do  is  to  cut  off 
that  hair."  "Why  so?"  "Simply  because  our  people  do  not 
approve  of  long  haired  men  nor  short  haired  women ;  besides 
it  makes  you  look  like  a  desperado  and  robber,  the  president's 
daughter  would  not  dance  with  you."  I  was  very  proud  of 
my  hair,  but  desiring  to  shun  the  appearance  or  suspicion  of 
evil,  and  abhorring  the  thought  of  dishonesty,  uncle's  refer- 
ence to  my  looking  like  a  "robber"  was  sufficient  to  stifle  my 
pride  in  long  hair,  which  I  had  cropped  short,  and  have  never 
since  worn  it  otherwise.  With  short  hair,  and  uncle  to  buy  my 
ticket,  I  was  readily  admitted  to  the  ball-room,  where  I  not 
only  had  the  pleasure  of  dancing  with  Brigham's  daughters, 
but  also  the  honor  of  dancing  in  the  same  set  with  that  much 
married  man. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

On  March  1st,  1865,  I  hired  to  drive  a  mule  team  to  Atchi- 
son,  Kansas.  The  mules  being  fresh,  the  wagons  empty  and 
the  roads  good,  we  therefore  made  good  time.  At  Maryville. 
on  the  Big  Blue  in  Kansas,  we  met  a  large  ox-train,  belong- 
ing to  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Stratton,  who  were  conducting 
it  themselves,  and  were  bound  for  Salt  Lake  City.  Three  of 
the  boys  with  whom  I  crossed  the  plains  the  previous  year 
were  with  this  train,  and  they  easily  persuaded  me  to  take  the 
team  of  a  fellow  who  wanted  to  return  home.  Mr.  Stratton, 
after  being  informed  that  I  was  the  hero  of  the  many  tales 
told  by  my  former  companions,  readily  consented  to  the 
change.  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Stratton  were  Christian  men, 
and  would  not  move  their  train  on  Sunday.  They  allowed 
the  boys  to  get  breakfast  every  morning  before  starting,  a 
privilege  no  other  freighter,  so  far  as  my  experience  on  the 
plains  is  concerned,  would  permit,  except  in  the  case  of  a 
break-down  or  some  other  misfortune.  This  outfit  made  bet- 
ter time,  had  less  trouble  among  the  men  and  fewer  mishaps, 
thouhg  harassed  and  often  attacked  by  the  Indians,  than  any 
other  train  with  which  I  traveled,  and  always  attributed  its 
rapid  progress  and  general  success  to  the  religious  rites  prac- 
ticed by  its  God-fearing  owners.  Every  Sabbath  Mr.  Stratton 
delivered  a  good  old  Methodist  sermon,  and  all  the  boys  joined 
in  singing  those  familiar  hymns,  "Am  I  a  Soldier  of  the  Cross" 
and  "There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood,"  etc.,  etc.,  after 
which  we  knelt  on  the  grass  while  Mr.  Stratton  besought  for 
us  all  the  special  favors  of  the  God  who  rules  and  directs  the 
universe. 

On  arriving  at  Fort  Kearney  the  commanding  officer  in- 
formed Mr.  Stratton  that  the  Indians  were  out  in  full  force 
on  the  war  path,  and  advised  him  to  employ  an  experienced 
person  to  act  as  scout  and  hunter  for  his  train.  He  also  ad- 
vised, or  rather  commanded,  him  to  wait  for  reinforcements 
during  which  time  he  could  select  the  scout.  There  were 
several  old  plainsmen  at  the  fort,  but  Mr.  Johnson  objected 
to  employing  any  of  them  for  the  reason  that  they  were  drink- 
ing men,  and  he  had  "no  confidence  in  such  fellows,"  and  as 


66  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

none  of  his  own  men  (excepting  myself)  had  had  any  ex- 
perience in  scouting,  I  volunteered  to  act  in  that  capacity. 
Mr.  Stratton  thought  I  was  too  young  and  reckless  for  such 
a  responsible  position,  and  said  that  in  case  anything  would 
happen  to  me  he  could  never  forgive  himself.  My  reckless, 
daring  disposition  was  the  strongest  point  in  my  favor,  as  a 
man  with  large  cautiousness  would  make  a  very  poor  scout; 
and  as  for  any  harm  coming  to  me,  I  told  him  that  God  would 
protect  me  when  alone  as  well  as  when  in  camp,  and  this  ex- 
pression of  faith  in  the  Lord's  goodness  and  power  secured 
for  me  the  position  of  scout. 

An  ox-train  of  thirty  teams,  bound  for  Salt  Lake  City, 
having  joined  us,  the  post  commander  thought  we  were  suf- 
ficiently numerous  to  defend  ourselves  and  permitted  us  to 
depart  for  the  land  of  dangers.  After  crossing  the  South 
Platte,  I  came  in  contact  with  bands  of  hostile  Indians  almost 
every  day.  They  made  frequent  attempts  to  surprise  and 
capture  me,  but  my  faithful  "Molly"  always  warned  me  of 
their  near  approach,  thereby  frustrating  their  designs.  After 
crossing  Lodge  Pole  Creek  I  hastened  one  day  to  inform  Mr. 
Stratton  of  my  discoveries  and  conclusions,  viz :  that  an  at- 
tack would  be  made  on  the  train  that  evening  or  the  next 
morning.  We  camped  an  hour  earlier  than  usual,  turned  the 
cattle  out  to  grass  with  the  yokes  on,  and  after  supper  they 
were  driven  into  the  corral,  coupled  together  and  chained  to 
the  wagon ;  the  small  gaps  were  made  secure,  and  chains  were 
stretched  across  the  front  and  rear  gaps,  thus  forming  a  solid 
enclosure. 

That  night  there  was  on  duty  a  double  watch,  Mr.  Strat- 
ton and  myself  remaining  up  with  them  all  night.  He  and  I 
took  a  stand  near  my  mare,  so  that  we  could  watch  her  move- 
ments, as  I  knew  that  an  Indian  could  not  approach  within 
shooting  distance  without  attracting  her  attention.  During 
our  long  vigil  I  gave  my  grave  companion  a  brief  sketch  .of 
my  childhood  history.  I  told  him  that  my  dear  mother  was  a 
devoted  Christian,  a  brilliant  conversationalist,  and  that  she 
had  taught  me  "Lord's  Prayer,  "Mary  had  a  little  lamb,"  and 
other  choice  pieces  of  the  time ;  and  that  father  was  an  orator 
of  local  repute,  and  who  had  taught  me  to  repeat  rare  speeches 
from  Calhoun,  Polk,  Clay  and  Webster.  He  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  my  vocal  powers,  having  heard  me  sing  the 
"Texas  Rangers"  and  other  frontier  songs,  and  had  also  heard 
me  recite  portions  of  the  "Declaration  of  Independence"  and 
"The  boy  stood  on  the  burning  deck."  Being  familiar  with 
these  recitations  and  songs,  and  having  heard  my  story,  he 
declared  I  was  a  born  orator  and  must  make  a  speech  to  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  G7 

boys ;  "and  tell  them,"  he  said,  "of  our  true  situation  and  in- 
spire them  with  confidence  in  themselves.  You  can  do  it,  as 
they  have  great  faith  in  your  judgment  and  courage."  This 
was  a  compliment  of  which  a  more  staid,  older  individual 
might  have  been  more  proud.  It  doubly  repaid  me  for  the 
hard  rides  and  dangers  I  had  passed  through,  and  to  say  that 
it  encouraged,  strengthened  and  filled  me  with  a  sense  of  my 
own  worth,  would  not  be  saying  too  much ;  for  where  is  the 
normally  constituted  boy  who  can  be  unaffectedly  praised 
without  having  his  soul  filled  with  devotion  and  loyalty  to 
those  from  whom  the  words  of  praise  come,  and  without  feel- 
ing a  justifiable  pride  in  himself?  I  felt  the  fire  of  this  worthy 
element  coursing  through  my  veins,  and  when  the  men  were 
collected  at  the  front  end  of  the  corral,  and  after  Mr.  Stratton 
had  introduced  me  by  saying,  "Friends  and  gentlemen,  our 
little  scout  wishes  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  before  our  fun 
commences,"  I  mounted  the  rostrum,  which  was  the  broad 
end  of  the  tongue  of  the  lead  wagon,  whose  white  canvas 
cover  served  as  a  sort  of  illuminating  background,  enabling 
my  hearers  to  see  every  gesture  I  made  and  to  note  every 
expression  of  my  countenance.  In  front  of  me,  sitting  on  the 
grass  in  a  circle  four  deep,  were  the  teamsters  and  night  herd- 
ers, on  my  right  were  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Stratton  and  the 
other  proprietors  of  the  outfit,  while  to  the  left,  leaning  on 
their  "three-band  needle  guns,"  were  the  two  old  mountaineers 
who  joined  us  the  evening  before.  I  felt  deeply  impressed 
with  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  yet  I  was  as  full  of  enthusi- 
asm as  was  John  Randolph  when  he  delivered  his  famous 
speech  against  the  "Yazoo  Land  Grant,"  and  as  determined 
as  the  noble  patriot,  Patrick  Henry,  when  he  uttered  the  world 
renowned  sentence,  "Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death,"  and 
I  looked  out  over  my  audience  with  a  self-important  air  that 
would  have  excited  the  admiration  of  a  Demosthenes  or  arous- 
ed the  envy  of  a  Cicero.  My  father  when  talking  to  political 
gatherings  was  very  emphatic,  made  very  many  gestures ;  and 
regarding  him  as  I  did  as  being  one  of  the  ablest  men  of  the 
age,  it  was  quite  natural  that  I  should  try  to  imitate  him  on 
this  auspicious  occasion.  It  is  over  thirty  years  since  I  de- 
livered that  speech,  into  which  I  wove  pert  sayings  of  eminent 
men,  and  portions  of  the  "Declaration  of  Independence."  I 
bowed  to  the  thoughtful,  earnest,  upturned  faces,  and  said, 
"Gentlemen  and  fellow  travelers,  when  in  the  course  of  human 
events  it  becomes  necessary  for  our  people  to  rise  in  their 
might  for  the  purpose  of  redress,  and  of  opposing  the  tyranny 
and  rapacity  of  another,  it  is  their  duty  to  do  so  without  hesi- 
tation, and  in  a  manner  most"  effective  and  becoming  brave, 
Christian  men.  Believing-  you  will  acquit  yourselves  as  such, 


68  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

it  is,  therefore,  my  duty,  painful  as  it  is,  to  inform  you  that 
we  are  at  this  moment — as  the  actions  of  my  mare  indicated — 
being  approached  by  at  least  three  hundred,  perhaps  more, 
powerful  Sioux  warriors.  Some  of  them  are  armed  with  guns, 
others  with  strong  bows  and  swift  flying  arrows,  and  still 
others  are  provided  with  the  fearful  war  club,  while  every  one 
of  them  carries  at  this  side  the  awful  scalping  knife  and  the 
death-dealing  tomahawk."  I  continued  in  this  strain  for  some 
time,  and,  as  I  proceeded,  grew  more  eloquent  and  impressive, 
and,  in  referring  to  my  journey  with  them  across  the  "mighty 
plains,"  used  the  Henry  Clay  gesture,  with  outstretched  arms 
sweeping  the  heavens  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  horizon, 
and  with  the  "sledge  hammer  gesture"  of  Webster,  closed  with 
"whoever  fails  to  do  his  duty  this  morning  ought  to  lose  his 
life."  As  I  stepped  from  the  wagon  tongue  the  men  arose, 
with  hats  in  hand,  as  if  to  cheer  me,  but  a  wave  of  Mr.  Strat- 
ton's  hand  checked  them.  He  then  invited  them  to  kneel  with 
him  in  prayer.  All  the  men  fell  upon  their  knees,  even  the  old 
mountaineers  bowed  their  heads  in  a  reverential  manner, 
while  the  man  of  God  most  fervently  petitioned  our  Heavenly 
father  to  speedily  deliver  us  from  the  hands  of  the  Philistines 
and  aid  us  in  teaching  them  a  lesson  they  would  not  soon  for- 
get. Just  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  the  army  of  red  men  had 
been  engaged  in  a  similar  worship.  Chief  "Antelope"  had,  no 
doubt,  spent  the  entire  night  in  imploring  the  "Great  Spirit" 
to  lead  him  to  victory  and  give  him  "heap  much  pale  face 
scalps."  Here  then  were  two  men,  each  in  earnest,  each  bent 
on  the  destruction  of  the  other,  and  each  devoutly  engaged  in 
beseeching  aid  from  the  same  God,  the  source  of  all  power.  I 
have  studied  much  on  the  worship  of  these  two  men,  whom 
I  believe  to  have  been  honest  in  the  expressions  of  their  faith, 
strictly  sincere  in  the  manifestations  of  their  individual  con- 
victions, and,  reviewing  their  conduct  from  the  point  of  self- 
preservation,  they  were  both  certainly  justified  in  -seeking  aid 
that  would  enable  the  one  to  overthrow  the  other. 

Mr.  Stratton  was  conscientious  in  the  belief  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  help  open  up  the  great  West  and  bring  it  into  a 
•state  of  civilization,  while  the  noble  chief  "Antelope"  was  just 
as  conscientious  that  it  was  his  duty  to  defend  the  hunting 
grounds,  homes  and  lives  of  his  people.  The  former,  with  the 
spirit  of  progression,  helped  to  force  the  wedge,  whose  point 
had  been  entered  many  years  previous,  to  the  bursting  asunder 
of  the  ancient  hills  and  valleys  of  superstition  and  retrogres- 
sion, giving  the  beautiful  land  over  which  they  held  for  many 
years  absolute  sway  an  opportunity  to  "blossom  as  the  rose" ; 
while  the  latter  was  stricken  down  in  the  prime  of  his  man- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


69 


hood,  and  his  people  forced  to  retire,  or  silently  observe  the 
usurpation  of  their  country  by  their  more  enlightened  and 
civilized  (?)  white  brothers.  I  question  that  doctrine  which 
holds  it  right  to  appropriate  the  property  of  others  under  the 
specious  pretext  of  "the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  num- 
ber." ^ 

"Night,  sable  goddess,  from  her  ebon  throne,  in  rayless 
majesty,  now  stretches  forth  her  leaden  sceptre  o'er  a  slumber- 
ing camp."  While  Mr.  Stratton  was  engaged  in  prayer,  the 
hitherto  bright  stars  seemed  to  recede,  drawing  with  them 
their  peaceful  lustre,  and  leaving  us  in  Egyptian  darkness. 
My  noble  mare  became  more  restless,  and  the  poor  cattle,  as 
they  stood  chained  to  the  wagons,  keeping  up  a  continual  faint 


A  Fearful  Early  Morning  Charge. 

lowing,  as  if  fully  conscious  of  the  approaching  storm  of  lead 
and  arrows,  while  the  men  were  silent,  thoughtful,  and  anx- 
iously awaiting  the  appearance  of  light,  which  would  bring 
about  a  crisis,  and  thus  terminate  the  terrible  suspense.  The 
situation  was  awfully  impressive,  and  calculated  to  inspire 


70  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

one  with  fear,  rather  than  a  feeling  of  combativeness.  The 
glorious  sun  was  marching  steadily  on,  and  the  first  rays  of 
light  that  shot  across  the  extended  plains  revealed  a  long  line 
of  mounted  bronze  statues,  real,  life-size,  pulsating  statues, 
and  each  holding  in  his  strong  right  hand  a  weapon  of  death. 
Each  warrior  was  gorgeously  painted,  and  his  body,  with  the 
exception  of  charms  and  ornaments,  naked  from  the  waist  up. 
Beautiful  charges,  with  heads  erect,  stood  as  motionless  as 
Pike's  Peak,  and  as  ready  to  obey  their  riders  as  is  the  prop- 
erly adjusted  vane  to  obey  the  wind.  The  riders  themselves 
were  as  motionless  as  their  ponies,  and  were  gazing  as  intent- 
Iv  toward  us  as  we  were  toward  them ;  though  we,  being  in 
the  bottom,  while  they  were  on  the  ridge,  saw  them  at  least  a 
minute  before  our  camp  became  visible  to  them.  Although 
there  was  death  to  some  of  us  in  that  line,  yet  it  held  us,  as 
it  were,  transfixed  on  the  spear  of  admiration,  as  it  was  a  mag- 
nificent picture  and  one  that  would  have  delighted  a  Meyer- 
heim,  and  taxed  the  skill  of  a  Raphael  to  produce  on  canvas. 
There  were  between  three  and  four  hundred  warriors,  who 
were  not  more  than  that  many  yards  from  us,  and  they  seemed 
perfectly  confident  that  a  single  dash  around  or  through  the 
corral  would  be  equivalent  to  a  coup  de  grace  in  their  favor. 
O'ur  camp  was  wrapped  in  a  deathlike  stillness ;  even  my  mare 
had  become  silent,  the  cattle  ceased  their  mournful  lowing 
and  hugged  closer  to  the  wagons,  as  if  to  shield  themselves 
from  the  impending  danger.  The  suspense  and  silence  was 
terrible,  but  it  was  soon  broken  up  by  the  soul-piercing  war 
whoop,  and  the  Indians  came  pouring  down  the  hill  like  a 
Nevada  snowslide.  Thev  rode  around  and  around  the  cor- 
ral, shooting  and  shouting,  by  which  they  hoped  to  terrify 
the  men  and  thus  render  them  an  easy  prey.  Seeing  that  they 
had  underestimated  the  courage  of  the  "pale-faces,"  now  col- 
lected and  made  a  straight  run  for  the  corral,  intending  to  ride 
through  it,  stampede  the  cattle  and  kill  a  number  of  our  boys 
as  they  did  so.  One  of  the  old  mountaineers  shouted,  "This 
way,  lads."  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  a  solid  line 
formed  across  the  mouth  of  the  corral.  With  our  long-range 
rifles  we  opened  a  deadly  fire  on  the  bold  warriors,  some  fall- 
ing to  the  right  and  some  to  the  left,  while  those  unharmed 
pressed  forward  with  renewed  determination.  "Now  the  shot- 
guns," called  out  our  self-appointed  commander.  They  were 
discharged  with  a  fearful  slaughter  of  the  enemy,  yet  the  sur- 
vivors advanced  on  us  and  were  within  fifty  yards  of  our  line, 
when  the  old  mountaineer's  voice  was  again  hear,  "Draw  your 
revolvers."  Chief  "Antelope,"  as  I  had  anticipated,  was  lead- 
ing the  warriors,  and  was  several  yards  in  advance  of  them, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  71 

making  directly  toward  where  Mr.  Stratton  and  myself  were 
standing,  and  at  the  crack  of  my  pistol  fell  from  his  horse  and 
died  within  ten  feet  of  me.  His  followers  now  fled,  leaving  on 
the  ground  fifty  of  their  dying  and  dead  companions,  and  be- 
sides these  the  fleeing  host  carried  away  with  a  number  of  dis- 
abled warriors.  When  the  Indians  reached  a  safe  distance 
they  halted  for  a  review.  One  brawny  brave  came  sweeping 
back  toward  the  battle  ground  in  quest  of  a  companion,  broth- 
er, or  most  likely  a  son.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  Mr.  Strat- 
ton prevailed  on  the  old  mountaineers  not  to  shoot  the  bold 
warrior,  as  he  came  nearer  and  nearer  in  search  of  his  friend. 
When  the  noble  fellow  saw  the  object  for  which  he  was  risk- 
ing his  life,  he  dashed  up  to  it,  leaned  forward,  seized  the  belt 
around  the  dead  man's  waist  with  his  right  hand,  and,  with 
Herculean  strength,  raised  the  body  and  laid  it  across  the 
horse  in  front  of  him,  and,  with  triumphant  shouts  rode  rap- 
idly toward  his  cheering  and  admiring  comrades.  This  was 
one  of  the  grandest  feats  of  heroism  I  ever  witnessed,  and  was 
as  neatly  performed  as  a  Hector  or  an  Achilles  could  have 
done. 

Seven  of  our  men,  one  horse  (belonging  to  one  of  the  old 
mountaineers)  and  four  or  five  steers  were  killed,  and  quite 
a  number  of  both  men  and  cattle  wounded.  The  poor  cattle 
having  been  turned  on  the  grass,  our  wounded  friends  cared 
for  and  our  dead  comrades  buried,  Mr.  Stratton  and  I  went 
out  to  inspect  the  dead  Indians,  who  were  left  as  they  lay  so 
their  friends  could  get  them  when  we  broke  camp.  Mr.  Strat- 
ton delivered  a  very  touching  address  on  the  sad  fate  of  our 
friends,  and  at  my  request  briefly  eulogized  the  great  chief 
"Antelope."  He  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  youngest 
chief,  the  most  successful  leader  of  his  nation,  and  had  clothed 
and  fed  from  his  own  resources  more  widows  and  orphans 
than  any  other  warrior,  and  had  stolen  a  greater  number  of 
horses  and  taken  more  of  the  enemy's  scalps  than  any  other 
man  of  the  day.  He  was  also  credited  with  being  a  most  de- 
vout worshipper  of  the  "Great  Spirit,"  whom  he  consulted  on 
every  occasion,  and  no  doubt  acted  according  to  the  inspira- 
tion or  revelation  vouchsafed  to  him.  The  .star,  like  that  of 
Napoleon's,  which  led  him  to  many  victories,  ceased  to  shine, 
or  misdirected  him,  on  this  fatal  morning,  and  when  he  fell 
Mr.  Stratton  explained,  "There,  Charles,  you  have  done  the 
one  thing  needful."  He  persisted  in  giving  me  credit  for  turn- 
ing apparent  defeat  into  victory,  but  I  resolutely  disclaimed 
the  honor  of  killing  the  chief.  A  burly  Missourian,  named 
Howard,  to  whom  I  shall  have  occasion  to  allude  hereafter, 
contended  that  he  fired  the  shot  that  killed  the  bold  leader.  I 


72  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

was  perfectly  willing  he  should  bear  that  distinction,  as  it  was 
sufficiently  painful  to  me  to  look  on  the  cold,  handsome  face 
of  the  great  chief  "Antelope,"  without  feeling  myself  respons- 
ible for  his  demise.  I  respected  and  warmly  admired  this 
young  chieftain,  and  felt  sorry  that  he  was  now  cold  in  death, 
notwithstanding  my  knowledge  of  his  character  and  the  fact 
that  had  he  lived  to  effect  my  recapture  would  have  merci- 
lessly put  me  to  the  stake. 

Mr.  Stratton,  though  a  very  pious  man,  was  a  jolly, 
boisterous  fellow,  who  ordinarily  would  be  suspected  to  en- 
gage in  a  fight  at  any  time,  while  Mr.  Johnson,  his  partner, 
was  a  quiet,  unassuming  man,  and  one  would  naturally  expect 
him  to  shrink  from  the  very  thought  of  shedding  blood.  But 
on  the  plains,  as  elsewhere,  modestly  reserved  men  are  often 
those  who  in  the  presence  of  eminent  danger  show  themselves 
best  qualified  to  hold  their  own,  and  once  thoroughly  aroused 
will  fight  with  cool  ferociousness  that  is  terrible  to  witness. 
Such  was  Mr.  Johnson.  Although  a  rifle  ball  had  passed 
through  his  left  shoulder,  yet  he  faced  the  shot  and  arrows  as 
only  a  brave  man  can,  without  a  tremor.  Having  had  our 
dinner,  the  cattle  were  driven  in,  yoked  and  hitched  to  the 
wagons  and  the  train  was  set  rolling  away  from  this  camp  of 
death  and  unpleasant  scenes. 

I  rode  far  from  the  road  in  search  of  game  and  Indians. 
I  saw  none  of  the  former  except  jack  rabbits  and  prairie  dogs. 
but  saw  many  of  the  latter,  and  was  several  times  chased  into 
camp  by  them.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  Indians,  of  what- 
ever tribe  or  nation,  will  not  harm  a  demented  or  simple- 
minded  person,  hence  I  may  attribute  the  sparing  of  my  life 
to  the  fact  that  they  either  regarded  me  as  a  simpleton  or 
recognized  me  as  "Little  Moon/'  and  therefore  wanted  to 
capture  me  alive,  as  they  certainly  had  many  opportunities  to 
kill  me  had  they  so  desired.  I  did  not  then  so  regard  my 
escape,  but  rather  ascribed  it  to  my  own  courage  and  boldness 
and  to  the  swiftness  and  sagacity  of  my  faithful  mare.  Mr. 
Stratton  often  cautioned  me  about  being  so  reckless,  but  his 
warnings  only  served  to  make  me  more  venturesome.  I 
courted  the  most  hazardous  positions  possible  for  the  very  love 
of  it,  and  was  extremely  proud  of  the  wonder  I  excited,  and 
delighted  in  the  comments  my  daring  evoked  from  my  com- 
panions. 

In  1865  I  was  employed  as  scout  and  hunter  for  the  large 
freighting  outfit  belonging  to  Messrs.  Johnson  &  Stratton, 
bound  for  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  We  were  traveling  up  the 
north  side  of  South  Plate  and  having  crossed  Pawnee  Creek, 
camped  for  dinner.  Another  large  train  corralled  on  the  east 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  73 

side  of  the  creek  and  between  the  two  large  trains  on  the  west 
side  of  the  creek  was  an  emigrant  outfit  of  two  teams,  the 
family  consisted  of  an  old  man  and  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  being  a  handsome  girl  about  eighteen  or  nine- 
teen years  old.  I  had  warned  the  old  gentleman  of  the  great 
danger  to  which  he  was  subjecting  his  family  by  camping 
alone  and  my  employers  had  kindly  invited  him  to  corral 
with  their  train,  but  he  preferred  to  take  the  risk,  saying,  "The 
Great  God  whom  we  serve  is  able  to  deliver  us." 

Both  trains  were  attacked  simultaneously  by  the  Sioux 
under  the  leadership  of  Chief  Rain-in-the-Face,  who  was  then 
in  his  prime.  There  was  a  terrible  slaughter  on  both  sides  and 
the  emigrant  outfit  was  literally  annihilated.  Two  young  war- 
riors whose  horses  had  been  shot  from  under  them,  and  who 
desired  to  win  the  applause  of  their  comrades,  attacked  the 
emigrants  single-handed,  killing  the  old  lady,  boy  and  the 
smaller  girl  instantly.  The  old  man  was  tomahawked  and 
scalped,  but  did  not  die  for  several  days.  The  young  braves 
next  fired  the  wagons,  then  seized  the  young  woman  and  tried 
to  carry  her  off,  but  she  fought  them  like  a  tigress,  compelling 
them  to  deal  severely  with  her.  She  was  knocked  down,  one 
of  the  fiends  grasping  a  handful  of  her  long  black  hair  and 
the  other  caught  her  by  the  ankle  and  in  this  condition  began 
dragging  her  across  the  prairie  toward  the  North  Platte.  More 
than  one  hundred  shots  were  aimed  at  the  bold  abductors  with- 
out effect;  I,  myself,  fired  twice  at  them,  emptying  my  gun. 
There  is  a  chained  incipient  Calibou,  a  germ  of  savagery,  in 
the  bosom  of  every  human  being  and  the  piteous  screams  of 
that  poor  girl  loosened  the  tiger  in  my  breast,  therefore  I  turned 
to  "Smoky  Bill"  (a  boy  about  my  own  age,  but  larger  and 
stronger)  and  said,  "Bill,  let  us  rescue  the  girl."  "Agreed, 
pard,"  was  his  laconic  but  resolute  reply.  We  soon  overtook 
the  savages  and  a  fierce  hand  to  hand  fight  with  knives  against 
tomahawks  ensued.  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short  we  not 
only  slew  the  Philistines  but  carried  the  unconscious  girl  to 
camp  amid  the  cheers  of  our  companions,  followed  by  the  ter- 
rible yells,  bullets  and  arrows  from  fifty  or  more  mounted  war- 
riors who  chased  us  to  the  very  mouth  of  our  corral.  Poor 
"Smoky  Bill,"  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  was  riddled  with  bul- 
lets and  arrows  and  died  an  hour  later  while  I  escaped  without 
a  scratch,  though  several  shots  and  arrows  passed  through  my 
buckskin  shirt  and  pants. 

The  Indians  being  repulsed,  Mr.  Stratton,  accompanied 
by  some  of  his  teamsters,  went  over  to  the  emigrant  wagons 
which  were  enveloped  in  flames,  and,  finding  the  old  man 
still  alive,  brought  him  to  camp.  By  this  time  the  girl  had 


74  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

regained  consciousness,  but  late  in  the  afternoon  died  in  her 
father's  arms,  and  a  few  days  later  the  old  gentleman  himself 
gave  up  the  ghost  and  was  buried  on  a  knoll  near  the  banks  of 
the  beautiful  Cache  La  Pondra  river.  The  last  words  uttered 
by  this  unfortunate,  broken  hearted  old  man  were  words  of 
praise,  expressions  of  gratitude  and  blessings  upon  my  head 
for  doing  what  he  termed  "an  act  of  heroism  worthy  of  Old 
Hector." 

Most  boys  are  ambitious  and  their  actions,  according  to 
their  susceptibility,  more  or  less  tempered  by  praise.  Being 
largely  endowed  with  approbativeness  I  readily  yielded  to  the 
goddess  of  vanity,  or  as  Miss  Rose  Elizabeth  Cleveland  would 
say,  'There  was  in  the  fresh,  young  years  of  my  life  a  facility 
of  feeling,  a  readiness  of  devotion,  and  a  reckless  expenditure 
of  love  for  the  hazardous  things."  I  ventured  into  places  that 
men  of  large  cautiousness  and  matured  judgment  would  not 
and  hence  gathered  information  that  made  us  victorious  over 
our  red  brothers,  who,  under  the  leadership  of  Chief  Rain-in- 
the-Face,  attacked  us  once  more  and  killed  two  of  our  men 
while  we  retaliated  by  sending  a  number  of  warriors  to  the 
"Happy  Hunting  Ground." 

Our  last  days  travel  in  the  hostile  country  was  in  the  foot- 
hills bordering  the  majestic  Rockies,  and  as  the  sun  descended 
behind  them  there  appeared  on  the  prairie  a  scalloped  line  of 
alternate  shade  and  sunshine,  which  was  very  beautiful  and 
more  than  once  I  paused  to  let  Molly  nip  the  grass  in  the  shade 
of  some  peak  taller  than  its  fellows,  while  I  breathed  the  fresh, 
pure  air,  laden  with  the  odor  of  pine  and  cedar.  On  entering 
the  mountains  the  combination  wras  dissolved  so  that  the  lesser 
outfits  of  three  and  four  wagons  might  push  ahead  as  rapidly 
as  they  chose. 

Mr.  Stratton  being  short  of  men,  now  asked  me  to  take  my 
team  again.  Recognizing  the  justness  of  the  request  and  hav- 
ing a  strong  desire  to  please  and  accommodate  him,  I  readily 
consented  to  resume  my  old  position.  Howard  (the  "burly 
Missourian,"  to  whom  I  referred  on  a  previous  page)  and  his 
son  had  all  along  been  jealous  of  my  success  and  envied  by 
reason  of  the  confidence  which  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Stratton 
reposed  in  me.  The  Howards  prided  themselves  on  being1 
"ring-fighters,"  or,  in  the  phraseology  of  Missouri,  "the  rec- 
ognized bullies  of  their  neighborhood."  I  had  a  quarrel  with 
these  men  the  first  day  of  my  connection  with  the  train  at 
Maryville,  Kansas,  and  another  when  Mr.  Stratton  accepted 
me  as  a  scout  in  preference  to  young  Howard.  No  matter  what 
might  be  the  subject  of  conversation,  it  was  sure  to  remind 
them  of  some  brilliant  achievement  or  act  of  their  power  and 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  75 

prowess,  and  then  would  follow  a  blood-curdling  story  to 
which  all  must  listen,  or  subject  themselves  to  their  displeas- 
ure— which  meant  for  the  rash  individual  taunts,  insults,  and, 
in  some  cases,  blows  in  the  face.  Most  of  the  men  delighted 
(or  pretended  to)  in  hearing  their  stories,  yet  there  were  a 
few,  including  myself  and  young  Clark,  to  whom  I  was  de- 
votedly attached  and  who  was  my  bed-fellow,  who  had  the 
temerity  to  treat  their  vulgar  yarns  with  contempt  by  absent- 
ing ourselves  from  the  circle  when  they  were  commenced. 
Mr.  Clark  was  a  small,  courageous  fellow,  yet  preferred  to 
submit  to  the  indignities  heaped  upon  him  by  these  men  rather 
than  "lower"  himself  as  he  said  "to  the  level  of  bar-room 
bully."  He  was  no  match  for  the  Howards  in  physical  strength 
or  size,  and  had  no  desire,  not  even  in  self  defense,  to  use  his 
pistol  which  was  at  that  time,  anywhere  west  of  the  Missouri 
river,  the  only  arbiter  of  disputes  between  men,  and  a  man 
was  respected  and  admired  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to 
handle,  and  his  readiness  of  resorting  to  that  all-powerful 
equalizer.  The  late  Mr.  Nasby  said  that  "the  invention  of  the 
pistol  and  the  production  of  the  spelling  book  made  all  men 
equal."  When  I  started  out,  at  the  age  of  eleven  I  did  so  with 
"nemo  me  impune  lacissit"  written  in  letters  of  fire  in  my 
countenance.  With  this  motto  stamped  upon  my  brow,  armed 
with  two  big  revolvers,  the  ability  to  handle  them  and  the  nat- 
ural courage  to  do  so  on  proper  occasions,  I  was,  therefore, 
prepared  to  and  did  forstall  Mr.  Nasby's  statement  by  an  ac- 
tual experience. 

However  loathsome  and  detestable  a  man  may  become, 
there  are  times  when  his  company  cannot  be  avoided ;  especial- 
ly is  this  the  case  in  soldiering  and  driving  a  team  on  the 
plains.  So  after  resuming  my  old  place  as  teamster  I  was  of 
necessity  thrown  into  close  association  with  the  Howards.  I 
was  fond  of  playing  the  fiddle  and  singing  comic  songs  by 
which  I  attracted  a  good  share  of  the  attention  which  had 
hitherto  been  monopolized  by  the  Howards,  and  frequently 
silenced  them  in  the  midst  of  a  vile,  or  bombastic  narrative  by 
playing  a  lively  tune.  My  music  was  as  disgusting  to  them  as 
their  boastful  fighting  stories  were  loathsome  to  me.  They 
frequently  made  satirical  remarks  about  my  fiddling,  and  com- 
pared my  singing  to  the  "scream  of  an  overcrowded  sorghum 
mill."  I,  in  return,  retaliated  by  referring  to  their  inhuman, 
brutal  treatment  of  drunken  men  at  home.  Mr.  Clark  was 
raised  in  the  same  neighborhood  with  these  men.  He  gave 
me  their  full  pedigree  and  forgetting  nothing  I  heard,  I  was 
able  to  give  them  dart  for  dart.  The  power  of  self  restraint 
gradually  weakened  and  finally  relaxed  altogether,  allowing  us 


76  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

to  collide  with  a  violence  as  painful  and  beneficial  to  them  as 
it  was  pleasing  and  interesting  to  our  fellow  travelers.  For- 
tunately neither  of  them  were  seriously  hurt  though  both  of 
them  were  shot,  one  through  the  arm  and  the  other  through 
the  shoulder.  This  affair,  though  in  itself  a  deplorable  one, 
had  a  most  salutary  effect  upon  the  language  and  conduct  of 
the  two  big  Missourians.  The  self-conceit  was  completely  tak- 
en out  of  them,  and  from  that  time  they  were  as  pleasant  and 
agreeable  companions  as  one  could  wish  for.  They  were  well 
educated  and  prepossessing  in  appearance,  capable  of  attract- 
ing attention  and  qualified  to  entertain  a  company  with  some- 
thing better  than  obscene  stories  and  "ring-fighting"  narra- 
tives. 

Having  crossed  Medicine  Bow  we  camped  for  the  night. 
I  had  frequently  told  Mr.  Stratton  of  the  great  herds  of  elk, 
deer  and  mountain  sheep  that  were  to  be  found  on  the  Medi- 
cine Bow  range  of  mountains,  and  of  the  large  droves  of  ante- 
lopes in  the  valleys ;  and  there  being  at  this  camp  ground  such 
a  plenty  of  wood,  water  and  rich  grass,  he  decided  to  remain 
here  two  or  three  days,  in  order  that  the  cattle  might  rest  and 
to  give  the  men  an  opportunity  to  do  some  repairing  such  as 
making  bow  keys,  setting  loose  tirf  s  and  shoeing  lame  cattle, 
etc.,  etc.,  and  while  this  was  being  done  I  was  expected  to  fur- 
nish the  boys  with  all  the  fresh  meat  they  wanted.  But,  alas! 
they  were  sadly  disappointed  as  their  expectations  of  elk  steak, 
roast  mutton  and  broiled  venison  were  not  realized,  unless 
antelope  meat  could  be  said  to  take  the  place  of  the  above.  This 
disappointment  was  not  due  to  a  scarcity  of  game,  but  wholly 
chargeable  to  a  rosy  cheeked,  bright  eyed  maiden. 

A  mile  or  so  east  of  our  camp  was  the  junction  of  the 
North  Platte  road  and  the  California  route,  the  former  being 
more  popularly  known  as  the  "Mormon  Trail/'  and  the  latter 
as  the  "Overland  Route."  Mormon  immigrants  traveled  up 
the  North  Platte,  therefore  we  had  expected,  at  least  hoped,  to 
meet  a  Mormon  train  i  t  this  camping  ground,  and  our  hopes  in 
this  case  were  fully  realized  for  half  an  hour  after  striking  camp 
ourselves,  a  large  Mormon  outfit  literally  alive  with  new  converts 
to  the  Mormon  faith,  rolled  up  and  corralled  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.  This  train  was  being  conducted  through  to  "Zion" 
by  an  elder,  whom  I  had  met  at  my  uncle's  house  in  Salt  Lake 
City  during  the  previous  winter.  After  supper  I  got  out  my  old 
fiddle  and  commenced  playing.  Presently  some  one  behind  me 
called  out,  "give  us  'Lazy  Jackson/  "  which  was  familiarly 
known  in  my  native  state  as  the  "Rye  Straw,"  and  which 
was,  and  is  yet,  no  doubt,  a  special  favorite  with  the  Mor- 
mons. I  looked  up  to  see  who  had  thus  addressed  me,  and 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  77 

behold  it  was  the  elder.  He  invited  us  over  to  his  camp  to 
have  a  friendly  dance.  About  a  dozen  of  our  number,  includ- 
ing myself  and  employers,  accompanied  him  to  his  camp. 
There  was  soon  prepared  a  spot  on  which  to  dance,  the  fiddlers 
took  their  places  on  the  platform,  which  was  erected  by  laying 
ox-yokes  on  top  of  one  another  until  the  necessary  height 
was  reached,  then  the  end  gates  of  wagons  was  placed  on 
them.  Everything  being  in  readiness  the  elder  read  a  chapter 
in  the  Bible,  closing  with  the  words,  "let  all  things  be  done  de- 
cently and  in  order" ;  then  said,  "let  us  pray."  After  an  elo- 
quent and  impressive  prayer  the  elder,  being  a  Virginian, 
called  out  in  stentorian  tones,  "partners  for  old  Virginny  reel." 
The  brightly  illumined  ring  was  quickly,  but  silently,  filled 
with  stalwart  young  men  and  merry  lasses,  the  music  started 
up  and  the  dance  commenced.  My  comrades  declined  to  par- 
ticipate, but  I,  having  been  introduced  by  the  elder  to  the 
bright-eyed  maiden  referred  to,  danced  several  times.  About 
eleven  o'clock  the  merry-making  was  brought  to  a  close  with 
"Old  Dan  Tucker,"  after  which  we  sang,  "Marching  to  Zion," 
then  a  short  prayer  by  the  elder  and  the  people  retired. 

Darwin  says  that  "instinct  teaches  the  bird,  while  wooing 
his  mate,  to  plume  his  pinions  to  their  highest  gloss,"  and  a 
similar  feeling  now  took  possession  of  me,  for  I  was  smitten 
with  the  perfect  physique  and  sweet  smiles  of  my  dark-eyed 
partner.  So,  the  next  day,  after  killing  three  antelopes  and 
bringing  them  to  camp,  I  resurrected  a  seamless  sack — the 
common  wardrobe  of  all  plainsmen — containing  a  new  suit  of 
buckskin,  neatly  fringed,  and  with  embroidery  work  about  the 
pants  pockets,  vest  front  and  cuffs  of  the  coat ;  beaded  mocca- 
sins, black  silk  handkerchief,  blue  flannel  shirt,  in  the  front 
of  which  was  worked  vines  and  leaves  of  bright  colors.  I 
brushed  the  dust  off  my  sombrero,  put  new  strings  in  my  moc- 
casins and,  after  dinner,  dressed  myself  and  went  over  to  the 
Mormon  camp.  By  this  time  my  deeds  of  daring  and  shooting 
were  known  to  every  member  in  the  party,  also  my  relation- 
ship to  "Brother  Leonard  I.  Smith."  The  latter  fact  was,  of 
itself,  sufficient  to  make  me  an  honored  and  welcome  vistor, 
and,  perhaps,  served  to  elevate  me  in  the  estimation  of  a  certain 
young  lady,  who  was  also  dressed  much  more  elaborately, 
smiled  more  sweetly,  and  therefore  looked  handsomer  than  the 
evening  before.  I  was  not  at  all  backward  about  talking  to 
her,  and  promptly  invited  her  to  take  a  horseback  ride  with  me, 
and  she  as  promptly  accepted  the  invitation. 

There  was  among  the  Mormons  a  young  Lamach,  a  two- 
ply  plygamist  courting  this  young  lady  with  a  vengeance,  in 
the  hope  of  making  her  number  three  in  his  household,  and  on 


78  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

returning  from  our  ride  we  found  him  in  a  perfect  rage  about 
her  "sweeping  wildly  over  the  prairies  with  an  accursed  Gen- 
tile," as  he  was  pleased  to  call  me.  That  night,  before  the 
dance  commenced,  he  told  her  if  she  danced  with  me  it  would 
be  at  the  risk  of  exciting  his  displeasure  with  her,  and  of  sub- 
jecting myself  to  a  terrible  thrashing.  Hattie  (that  being  t;;e 
young  lady's  name)  immediately  informed  me  of  the  conse- 
quences awaiting  us  should  we  presume  to  dance  together, 
sweetly  adding,  "I  told  him  you  were  perfectly  capable  of  de- 
fending yourself."  The  elder  was  not  aware  of  this  flirtation 
or  he  would  have  stopped  the  dance  at  once,  but  I  told  Mr. 
Stratton  all  that  had  been  said,  and  after  half  an  hour's  close 
observation  of  the  girl  and  her  lover,  he  warned  me  against 
having  anything  more  to  do  with  them.  He  was  a  student  of 
human  nature  and  prided  himself  on  being  able  to  read  one's 
thoughts  through  the  flashing  of  the  eye  and  the  curl  of  the 
lip,  and  I  believe  he  could,  as  his  diagnosis  of  the  character  of 
Miss  Hattie  and  her  Mormon  friend  was  so  perfect  as  to  be  al- 
most equivalent  tx>  a  mathematical  demonstration.  Just  be- 
fore starting  for  the  camp  he  came  to  me  and  said,  "Charles,  I 
beseech  you  for  your  soul's  welfare  and  the  peace  of  your  mind 
to  shun,  as  you  would  the  presence  of  a  leper,  the  wiles  of  that 
girl  for  she  is  a  consummate  and  unscrupulous  coquette."  He 
saw  that  my  attentions  toward  the  girl  were  born  of  admira- 
tion and  a  love  of  the  beautiful  for  I  had  not  in  the  slightest 
degree  forgotten  the  little  Nora  back  in  Old  Missouri ;  and  he 
also  saw  that  if  the  flirtation  was  continued  it  might  lead  the 
Mormon  lover,  through  a  fit  of  jealous  rage,  into  a  treacherous 
attempt  on  my  life — "for  he'll  do  nothing  openly  and  above 
board,"  Mr.  Stratton  had  said — and  thus  force  me  through  self- 
defence  into  committing  an  act  that  might  result  in  the  death 
of  my  adversary  which  of  course  would  trouble  my  mind.  I 
felt  the  force  of  my  friend's  counsel  but  did  not  accompany 
him  to  camp  as  he  so  much  desired  I  should.  Though  in  no 
sense  in  love  with  Miss  Hattie,  yet  I  was  captivated  by  her 
beautiful  face,  soul-stirring  smiles  and  winning  ways,  and  was 
exceedingly  proud  of  the  preference  she  paid  me  over  the 
other  fellow,  besides  I  was  not  sufficiently  endowed  with  that 
forbearance  and  Christian  virtue  which,  when  the  gauntlet  is 
tossed  up,  enable  their  possessor  to  quietly  withdraw  from  the 
scene;  therefore  Mr.  Clark  and  I  and  two  or  three  other  com- 
rades remained  at  the  dance  until  it  closed  by  the  elder's  pray- 
er. Having,  so  far  as  the  field  of  honor  is  concerned,  quit  the 
Mormon  camp  with  a  clear  conscience,  my  affections  not  seri- 
ously disturbed,  and  being  free  from  any  feeling  of  malice  or 
hatred  toward  the  love-sick  Lamach,  I  rolled  myself  up  in  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  79 

blankets  and  soon  went  to  sleep.  Not  so  with  my  enemy.  He 
slept  not,  for  his  heart  was  bleeding  with  jealousy  and  hatred, 
and  being  devoid  of  manhood  and  knowing  of  my  intense 
pride  in,  and  affection  for  my  noble  mare,  he  determined  to 
strike  through  her  at  me.  The  Mormon  train  had  with  it  a 
large,  vicious  bull  that  had  to  be  kept  chained  to  prevent  it 
fighting  other  stock ;  so  the  would-be  three-ply  polygamist, 
when  sufficient  time  had  elapsed  for  both  camps  to  be  fully 
embraced  by  nature's  law,  sleep,  untied  the  ferocious  beast,  led 
him  across  the  river  and  turned  him  loose  near  my  mare  (who 
was  tied  alongside  of  my  wagon  in  which  Mr.  Clark  and  I 
slept),  and  he  rushed  upon  her  and  gored  her  to  death.  While 
on  the  plains  in  the  midst  of  perils  I  slept  lightly,  as  the  least 
noise  or  jar  would  instantlv  wake  me  in  possession  of  all  my 
faculties  and  reasoning  powers  and  under  such  circumstances 
I  might  have  saved  my  poor  "Molly's"  life,  but  being  in  a 
country  where  human  foes  were  not  thought  of  and  having  so 
energetically  participated  in  the  dance,  a  "Rip  Van  Winkle" 
appetizer  so  far  possessed  me  that  I  naturally  slept  sound,  yet 
I  felt  the  first  jar  of  the  wagon  and  heard  the  one  piteous 
scream  of  my  poor  mare  but  before  I  could  collect  my  thoughts 
and  get  out  of  the  wagon  the  bull  had  finished  his  deadly  work, 
accomplished  the  work  of  his  jealous  master  and  was  on  l.'s 
way  to  the  herd.  By  the  time  I  had  got  my  cartridge  box  and 
gun  from  the  wagon  Mr.  Stratton  appeared  on  the  scene  and 
seeing  that  I  was  bent  on  killing  the  bull,  said,  "Charles,  stop, 
the  poor  brute  is  not  to  blame  because  your  mare  is  a  victim 
of  a  dastard's  revenge."  I  promptly  returned  to  his  side  weep- 
ing like  a  heart-broken  child,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  call 
the  man  out  and  shoot  him  down,  but  Mr.  Stratton,  having 
allowed  his  sympathy  for  me  to  cause  him  to  utter  one  indis- 
creet expression,  and  recognizing  his  error  as  a  peacemakei 
and  knowing  how  easily  I  was  wrought  up  to  a  fighting  mood, 
now  sought  in  his  most  pleasing  and  persuasive  manner  to 
pacify  my  ill  temper  and  soothe  my  wounded  feelings.  He 
thought  there  was  a  possibility  that  the  bull  had  escaped  by 
breaking  his  chain,  "but  even  if  he  did  not  and  you  knew  he 
had  been  let  loose  for  the  express  purpose  of  killing  your  mare 
it  would  still  be  wrong  to  kill  the  man,  for  by  so  doing  you 
would  bring  upon  his  innocent  family  a  greater  sorrow  and  in- 
injury  than  the  loss  of  the  mare  is  to  you."  Thus  argued  my 
good  friend  and  believing  him  to  be  right  and  just  I  readily 
acquiesced  in  his  better  judgment  and  Christ-like  way  of  set- 
tling the  matter.  He  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  with'  my  de- 
cision, individually,  yet  he  feared  the  other  boys  who  had 
learned  to  love  "Molly"  oy  reason  of  her  great  intelligence  and 


80  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

playfulness,  might  incite  me  to  avenge  the  sad  fate  of  my  faith- 
ful mare,  herefore  he  sent  word  to  the  night  herder  to  corral 
the  cattle  as  soon  as  it  became  light  enough  to  see  to  yoke 
them,  and  the  train  was  for  the  first  time  put  in  motion  before 
getting  breakfast.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  never  been  present 
at  the  death  of  a  dear  friend  or  relative,  except  when  my 
mother  died  and  I  was  then  too  young  to  fully  realize  what 
death  meant,  yet  the  cruel  fate  of  my  mare  produced  the  most 
sorrowful  feeling  in  my  soul,  as  she  had  almost  become  a  part 
of  myself,  hence  this  modern  Lamach  inflicted  upon  me  a 
greater  punishment  by  killing  her  than  he  could  possibly  have 
done  by  threshing  me  as  he  at  first  proposed  in  his  heart.  Al- 
though I  deeply  mourned  the  death  of  "Molly"  and  regretted 
her  loss,  not  so  much  for  her  intrinsic  value  as  for  her  compan- 
ionship, yet  the  occasion  of  her  death  has  been  of  incalculable 
service  and  benefit  to  me,  and  taught  me  a  lesson  that  has  been 
a  guiding  star  on  my  moral  pathway,  a  lesson  that  was  as  bit- 
ter to  bear  and  cost  me  as  much  sorrow  as  it  has  been  correc- 
tive and  profitable  to  me,  and  pointed  out  an  error  (flirtation) 
I  have  ever  since  been  very  careful  to  avoid,  an  error  that 
taught  me  to  recognize  the  fact  that  the  power  to  love  was  and 
is  the  greatest  blessing,  the  greatest  gift  that  God  has  bestowed 
on  mankind,  and  he  who  abuses  it  by  trifling  with  the  affec- 
tions of  another  not  only  brings  sorrow  and  shame  to  his  vic- 
tim, but  will,  sooner  or  later,  ensnare  himself  in  the  toils  of 
merited  grief  and  perhaps  destruction. 

On  reaching-  the  eastern  border  of  the  Bitter  Creek  coun- 
try— a  treeless,  grassless,  and,  with  the  exception  of  salt  and 
alkali  springs,  waterless,  sandy  desert  some  sixty-five  miles  in 
length,  lying  between  the  now  beautiful  cities  of  Rawlins  and 
Green  River,  Wyoming  Territory — we  camped  a  few  hours  for 
the  purpose  of  filling  our  kegs  and  casks  with  pure  water,  and 
to  collect  a  supply  of  dry  sage  brush  and  buffalo-chips  for 
cooking  purposes.  In  this  region  the  nights  were  quite  cool, 
while  the  days  were  made  loathsome  with  thick  dust  and  with- 
ering heat,  and  the  man  who  presumed  to  travel  through  it  in 
the  day  time  was  sure  to  be  loser,  for  the  cattle,  being  exces- 
sively heated  by  their  toil  and  almost  maddened  with  thirst, 
would,  when  turned  loose,  rush  to  the  pools  and  fill  themselves 
with  alkali  which  would  kill  many  and  render  others  unfit  for 
service  for  sometime ;  so  this  part  of  the  road,  by  reason  of 
foolhardy  travelers,  was  strewn  with  bleaching  bones  of  pois- 
oned cattle.  I  informed  Mr.  Stratton  of  the  nature  of  this 
part  of  our  route  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  necessity  of  doing 
most  of  our  traveling  over  it  in  the  night.  He  readily  recog- 
nized the  advisability  of  so  doing,  accordingly  we  were  on  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  81 

road  late  and  early,  resting  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  About 
midway  of  the  desert  were  two  springs  known  as  the  "Salt 
Wells,"  which  we  reached  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  the  second  day  on  this  barren,  inhospitable  road.  In  the 
evening,  while  the  cattle  were  being  driven  to  the  corral,  they 
became  frightened  and  fled  over  the  prairie  in  every  direction. 
They  were,  however,  soon  collected  and  corralled  but  on  yok- 
ing up  it  was  found  that  five  head  were  still  missing  and  I  vol- 
unteered to  go  after  them  while  the  train  proceeded.  I  had 
been  out  about  an  hour  when  suddenly  there  arose,  in  the 
northwest,  an  ominous  looking  cloud  of  dust  and  sand  which 
soon  reached  me  and  was  so  thick  that  an  object  fifty  yards 
away  could  not  be  distinguished.  The  trail  of  the  strays  grew 
dimmer  and  finally  disappeared  altogether,  then  I  thought  of 
returning  to  the  train  to  get  a  horse  on  which  to  follow  the 
cattle  but,  behold,  before  traveling  a  hundred  yards  I  found 
that  my  own  tracks  were  thoroughly  obliterated  by  the  falling 
dust  and  sand.  I  did  not  at  first  think  I  was  lost  but  was,  for 
the  radius  of  my  horizon  was  not  above  fifty  yards,  and  not  a 
living  thing  to  be  seen  or  a  sound  of  any  kind  to  be  heard  ex- 
cept the  rushing  wind.  I  was  simply  in  a  little  world  of  my 
own  which  accompanied  me  over  hill  and  vale  and  which  grew 
no  larger  or  smaller,  hence  my  solitude  was  as  intensely  com- 
plete as  that  which  befell  the  man  on  the  "Island  of  Patmos," 
or  the  shipwrecked  mariner.  Not  feeling  alarmed  by  the  situ- 
ation I  walked  along  as  rapidly  as  possible  in  what  I  believed 
to  be  the  direction  of  the  road.  The  elements  were  fully  im- 
pregnated with  dust  and  sand  over  which  floated  dense  clouds 
which  rendered  my  little  world  dark  as  Erebus  as  soon  as  the 
sun  disappeared  behind  the  snow-capped  mountains.  Finding 
myself  thus  cut  off  from  further  progress  I  stopped  short  and 
began  shouting  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  then  fired  my  pistol 
several  times  in  rapid  succession,  but  no  answer  came  to  greet 
my  ears.  I  passed  a  dreary,  lonesome  and  almost  sleepless 
night,  and  next  morning  as  soon  as  light  enough  appeared  to 
see  the  ground  on  which  I  stood  I  set  out  again  toward  the  north. 
Some  writer  on  physiology  has  made  the  statement  that 
"every  person  is  so  constructed  that  one  side  is  more  active 
than  the  other.  In  one  it  will  be  in  the  right  and  in  another 
the  left  side,  so  that  if  a  man  be  blindfolded  and  started  to  a 
given  spot,  he  will  walk  either  to  the  right  or  left  of  it  and,  in 
proportion  to  the  increased  strength  of  one  side  over  that  of  the 
other,  in  that  proportion  will  his  circle  be  greater  or  smaller." 
If  this  theory  be  true  (and  I  believe  it  is)  it  is 
a  wise  provision  of  nature ;  for  if  a  man  has  pow- 
er to  walk  in  a  straight  line,  but  unable  to  choose 


82  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

the  right  direction  when  lost — which  is  invariably  the 
case,  and  I  say  this  advisedly  and  from  experience — he  would 
get  so  far  away  from  his  starting  point  in  three  days'  travel 
that  it  would  be  next  to  a  miracle  if  he  ever  found  his  way 
back.  I  spent  two  days  more  in  this  envelope  of  dust  and  sand 
and  about  ten  o'clock  of  the  third  night  the  storm  ceased  and 
the  clouds  dispersed,  revealing  to  my  delighted  gaze  the  twink- 
ling stars  and  the  bright  silver  moon.  For  some  time  I  lay  on 
my  back  admiring  these  heavenly  beauties  and  speculating  in 
a  boyish  fashion  as  to  what  might  be  in  or  beyond  them.  I 
thought  of  my  angel  mother,  of  God,  and  whether  He  now  saw 
me  in  my  lonely,  desolate,  starved  condition  and  whether  He 
would  direct  me  out  of  it  if  I  asked  Him.  Mother  often  told 
me  no  matter  where  or  in  what  state  I  might  be,  His  eye 
was  ever  upon  me  and  His  ear  always  open  to  receive  the 
smallest  petition  from  the  humblest  of  his  creatures.  It  is 
easier  to  follow  a  trail  than  to  create  one,  and  I  so  found  it  in 
the  matter  of  prayer.  I  might  have  substituted  those  mother 
taught  me  or  those  I  had  repeated  as  they  fell  from  the  lips  of 
Mr.  Stratton,  but  none  of  these  seemed  appropriate  for  the  pres- 
ent occasion  and  while  I  believed  in  a  vague  sort  of  way  all 
that  mother  had  told  me,  yet  I  was  unable  to  address  the  Om- 
nipotent in  words,  but  my  prayer  or  the  desire  of  my  heart 
was  answered  for  there  (fame,  as  it  were,  a  voice  from  Heaven 
saying,  "Arise,  search  out  the  north  star,  it  will  lead  you  to 
the  road."  I  am  not  given  to  talking  in  my  sleep,  nor  to  my- 
self when  awake,  yet  I  may  unconsciously  have  uttered  the 
above  words,  but  whence  came  the  thought?  It  was  not  the 
result  of  reflection,  or  of  intelligent  consideration,  but  rather 
of  spontaneous  origin ;  in  short  it  was  the  voice  of  God.  I 
promptly  acted  upon  the  suggestion,  easily  found  the  north  star 
and  knowing  myself  to  be  south  of  the  road,  traveled  in  its 
direction.  About  eight  o'clock  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by 
finding  the  lost  cattle  which  were  quietly  and  contentedly  feed- 
ing on  the  green,  wiry  grass  that  sprung  up  around  a  spring  of 
cold,  sparkling  water,  which  trickled  along  in  a  tiny  stream 
for  a  hundred  yards  and  then  disappeared  beneath  the  sun- 
baked earth.  This  was  the  first  green  spot  I  had  come  across 
and  the  only  water  I  had  seen  during  my  three  days  travel.  The 
water  was  so  clear  and  inviting  that  I  did  not  think  of  ascer- 
taining its  nature,  but  unhesitatingly  threw  myself  at  the  edge 
of  the  spring  and  drank  to  satiety  without  raising  my  head 
from  the  beautiful  fluid,  whose  cool,  clear  and  sparkling  at- 
tributes were  its  only  virtues,  its  evil  essence  consisted  of  be- 
ing strongly  impregnated  with  salt  and  alkali.  In  less  than 
five  minutes  I  was  in  the  condition  of  the  old  Irishman,  "striv- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  83 

ing  to  live  and  couldn't  die."  Poor  little  Josephs  in  "Never 
too  late  to  mind,"  could  not  have  been  much  sicker  than  I 
was  or  less  capable  of  helping  himself  while  in  the  hands  of  his 
implacible  enemy,  Governor  Hawes. 

My  first  thought  after  getting  on  my  feet  again  was  to  kill 
an  ox  and  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger,  but  abandoned  this 
idea  and  instead,  after  many  efforts,  managed  to  get  on  the 
back  of  the  steer  I  had  intended  butchering  and  started  him 
toward  the  road  with  the  other  cattle  following  close  behind. 
On  reaching  the  summit  of  the  ridgre  I  saw  straight  ahead  of 
me  a  long  train  of  dust  arising  from  a  large  ox-train  which 
soon  corralled  for  breakfast.  I  reached  the  camp  by  the  time 
the  meal  was  ready  and  was  at  first  too  sick  to  eat.  but  after 
drinking  a  little  good  coffee,  such  as  the  teamster  alone  can 
make,  was  able  to  eat  a  dish  of  cold  stewed  apples  and  a  bis- 
cuit. The  foreman  had  heard  from  the  stage  driver  of  my  be- 
ing lost  which  aroused  his  sympathy  for  the  "wandering  boy," 
and  he  received  me  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  did  all  he  could 
to  make  me  comfortable,  sent  a  note  by  the  west  bound  stage 
to  Mr.  Stratton  informing  him  of  my  arrival  and  that  I  would 
reach  Green  River  by  noon  of  the  following  day.  Early  the 
next  morning  I  took  my  strays  and  pushed  ahead,  and  by  ten 
o'clock  reached  our  camp  at  Green  River.  As  I  came  in  sight 
the  boys  wildly  cheered  me  and  shouted  themselves  hoarse  for  joy 
over  the  return  of  the  prodigal.  Mr.  Stratton  had  been  very 
anxious  about  me  but  was  powerless  to  do  anything  as  it 
would  have  been  folly  to  have  started  out  in  search  of  m*e  while 
enveloped  in  that  cloud  of  dust  and  sand,  but  when  the  storm 
ceased  he  saddled  his  horse  and  started  back  to  look  for  me. 
On  meeting  the  stage  he  inquired  about  me  and  receiving  the 
foreman's  note  returned  to  camp  with  the  glad  tidings. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

At  Salt  Lake  City  I  bade  Messrs.  Stratton  and  Johnson 
and  my  late  comrades  good-bye  and  started  for  Helena,  Mon- 
tana. One  day  I  stood  watching  the  cook  on  his  knees  stir- 
ring a  pan  of  flour.  The  perspiration  from  his  brow  and  the 
drippings  from  his  nose  fell  into  the  dough  which  aroused  my 
indignation  to<  an  uncontrollable  pitch,  and,  springing  in  front 
of  him,  I  kicked  the  pan  and  its  contents  into  his  face.  With- 
out rising  he  struck  me  a  backhanded  slap  in  the  mouth  send- 
ing me  whirling  headfirst  into  the  sage  brush  a  rod  away.  I 
quickly  rose  with  pistol  in  hand  and  shot  him  in  the  shoulder. 
For  this  act  of  violence  I  was  highly  praised  and  received  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude  from  every  man  in  the  outfit.  The  fel- 
low soon  recovered  from  his  wound  but  did  no  more  cooking 
on  that  trip. 

Arriving  at  Helena  I  immediately  engaged  myself  to  Mr. 
Casper,  proprietor  of  the  St.  Louis  Restaurant,  to  wait  on  the 
tables.  An  easterner  would  imagine  that  a  rentaurant  in  a 
wild  mining  camp  at  this  period  must  necessarily  be  a  poor 
affair,  but  the  contrary  of  this  is  true  since  the  palates  of  the 
patrons  of  the  St.  Louis  Restaurant  were  tickled  with  buffalo 
hump,  buffalo  tenderloin,  elk  steak,  roast  venison,  antelope 
chops,  boiled  duck,  fricassed  grouse  and  sage  hen,  the  finest 
of  vegetables,  and  not  only  oleomargerine  but  genuine  ranch 
butter  and  pastry  that  would  vie  with  Delmonico's  best. 

The  steward  of  the  St.  Louis  was  a  large,  fine  looking 
young  man,  and  like  myself  fond  of  gambling,  and  when  I  left 
the  house  at  night  he  remained  on  duty  to  serve  late  custom- 
ers ;  hence  his  complaint  to  the  proprietor  about  my  going  to 
the  gambling  hall.  Mr.  Casper  authorized  him  to  make  me 
stay  at  the  restaurant  until  nine  o'clock  (closing  time)  or  whip 
me.  One  evening  he  undertook  to  execute  his  commission,  but 
the  result  was  rather  humiliating  and  disastrous  to  him.  I 
was  promptly  discharged,  while  the  steward  was  obliged  to 
leave  town  to  avoid  the  jeers  and  ridicule  heaped  upon  him  by 
the  people. 

Being  out  of  employment  I  spent  most  of  my  time  at  the 
gambling  hall,  which  was  a  large  structure,  built  of  hewed 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  85 

logs,  and  stood  on  the  north-east  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge 
Streets.  In  this  famous  building  I  witnessed  several  desperate 
conflicts  between  miners,  gamblers  and  the  boys  of  the  plains. 
The  most  fatal  fight  of  the  season  occurred  about  the  first  of 
December.  When  I  entered  the  hall  that  night  it  was  bril- 
liantly lighted,  but  few  men  present.  At  intervals  of  ten  or 
twelve  feet  clear  around  the  room  were  tables  on  which  were 
played  all  manner  of  games.  Near  the  door  was  the  throne  of 
Bacchus  where  the  vilest  of  liquors  were  dealt  out  to  the  fre- 
quenters of  the  hall  at  the  modest  sum  of  fifty  cents  per  glass; 
and  at  the  rear  end  of  the  building  was  a  platform  on  which 
sat  a  large,  good-looking,  cross-eyed  fellow  dispensing  sweet 
strains  of  music  on  the  violin  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
new  arrivals  and  lure  him  into  the  toils  of  fate  for  weal  or  woe 
— generally  woe.  By  half-past  eight  o'clock  the  hall  was  com- 
pletely packed  with  the  most  varied  and  grotesque  assembly  of 
humanity  I  have  ever  seen ;  not  that  it  differed  so  widely  from 
previous  gatherings  but  that  its  peculiar  aspects  seemed  to 
strike  me  more  forcibly  on  this  than  on  other  occasions.  That 
is,  I  was  an  observer  and  not  a  participant  and,  having  preceded 
the  crowd  had  an  excellent  opportunity  as  I  sat  on  the  stand 
with  the  musician  to  minutely  examine  the  features,  dress  and 
peculiarities  of  each  group  of  patrons  as  they  filed  into  that 
hall  and  took  seats  around  the  tables.  First  came  a  group  of 
"dealers"  for  the  various  games,  accompanied  by  those  whose 
business  it  was  to  lure  and  deceive,  closely  followed  by  a  score 
of  teamsters  who  entered  in  the  most  boisterous  manner,  then 
came  a  party  of  professional  scouts  and  cowboys  all  dressed 
in  fringed  buckskin.  The  former  in  their  soft  moccasins,  en- 
tered with  a  cat-like  tread,  while  the  latter  wore  boots,  at  the 
heels  of  which  dangled  heavy  steel  spurs  with  little  bells  at- 
tached to  them  on  the  outside  and  with  great  rowels  rasping 
the  floor  at  every  step  as  they  marched  up  to  the  counter  to 
pay  their  respects  to  "Madam  Bacchus."  Next  came  a  cloud 
of  Mexicans  with  their  yellow  skins  and  glittering  eyes  peeping 
out  from  under  broad  brimmed  hats,  wearing  dog  or  buckskin 
breeches,  and  around  the  waist  of  each  was  wound  the  indis- 
pensible  red  silk  sash  without  which  no  Mexican  would  con- 
sider himself  properly  dressed.  These  represented  almost 
every  phase  of  Mexican  society  and  were  the  special  devotees 
of  Spanish  Monte.  They  scowled  and  cried  "Carajo"  when 
they  lost,  and  smiled  sweetly  and  praised  "Santissima  Virgin" 
when  the  cards  came  up  in  their  favor.  Besides  these  special 
groups  there  were  Frenchmen,  Black  Greasers,  a  few  from  the 
coast  of  Killarney,  Mulattoes  and  Negroes  black  as  Erebus, 
who  were  kept  busy  carrying  drinks  to  the  players;  the  slant- 


86  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

eyed  Celestials,  too  had  found  their  way  to  the  "New  Eldora- 
do" in  their  search  after  gold,  "alle-samee  as  Melican  man." 
In  this  motley  crowd  were  men  of  every  hue  and  from  every 
clime,  drawn  together  by  the  common  accidents  of  life  or  by 
the  instincts  of  adventure  and  the  love  of  "filthy  lucre."  The 
progressive  business  man  and  the  successful  freighter  were 
sandwiched  in  between  teamsters,  cowboys,  greasers,  all  re- 
duced or  elevated  to  a  common  level,  or,  as  it  were,  a  sort  of 
harmonious  blending  of  the  higher  and  lowly  element. 

The  musician  having  accomplished  his  purpose,  laid  his 
violin  down  and  leisurely  walked  toward  the  bar.  I  arose  as  if 
to  follow  him  but  stood  for  some  time  gazing  upon  the  peculiar 
assembly,  which,  so  far  as  conversation  was  concerned,  was 
wrapped  in  profound  silence.  The  only  sounds  that  reached 
my  ears  were  the  "whish  whish"  of  the  cards  as  they  fluttered 
off  the  delicate  thumbs  of  the  dealers,  the  "chink  chink"  of 
gold  as  it  changed  hands  and  the  shuffling  of  chips  between 
deals.  When  the  music  ceased  ringing  in  my  ears  I  left  the 
stand  and  walked  toward  the  door  intending  to  go  to  my  room 
and  to  bed,  but  my  progress  was  arrested  by  a  familiar  voice 
apparently  addressing  me  with,  "Hello,  Missouri,  you're  not 
going  away  wihtout  having  a  game,  are  you  ?"  I  had  not  told  any- 
one that  I  came  from  Missouri,  no  one  present  knew  me,  and  most 
likely  no  one  had  spoken  to  me  for  when  I  turned  to  see  if  I 
recognized  the  speaker,  there  was  not  a  single  person  looking 
toward  me  nor  did  anyone  seem  to  care  a  snap  whether  I  left 
without  having  a  game  or  not.  However,  I  passed  around  the 
entire  room  and  took  a  peep  at  the  players  but  failed  to  see 
anyone  with  whom  I  was  acquainted.  Every  table  was  sur- 
rounded with  men  two  or  three  tiers  deep,  those  in  front  plac- 
ing bets  for  those  in  the  rear.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of 
dollars  were  stacked  on  the  tables  and  carefully  guarded  by 
the  owners,  yet,  notwithstanding  this  vigilance,  there  was  con- 
stantly going  on  a  petty  stealing  by  professional  "check  snatch- 
ers,"  who  are  to  be  found  in  every  gambling  house  and  who 
seem  to  be  in  league  with  the  proprietor  and  dealer,  and  who 
sooner  or  later  create  trouble  by  their  pilfering.  Such  men 
are,  of  course,  used  to  brawling  and  are  not  only  sure  shots, 
but  what  is  equally  important,  able  to  draw  their  weapons  in 
marvelous  quickness,  and  think  but  little  of  taking  the  life  of 
a  fellow  creature  in  furthering  their  purposes,  and  are  always 
prepared  to  fight  if  caught  stealing.  Though  usually  good 
character  readers  they  sometimes  erred  in  their  judgment  and 
took  the  chips  of  honest,  brave  men,  who  were  as  ready  to  re- 
sent a  wrong  and  equally  as  well  prepared  to  defend  their 
rights.  When  such  a  mistake  occurred  it  was  sure  to  result 
in  bloodshed,  for  the  one  would  fight  rather  than  meekly  sub- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  87 

mit  to  exposure,  while  the  other  would  do  likewise  in  order  to 
verify  his  veracity,  and  establish  the  justness  of  his  accusa- 
tion, and,  as  I  have  elsewhere  said,  the  pistol  and  the  knife 
were  the  arbiters.    I  again  passed  around  the  room  stopping  at 
the  faro  game,  whence  I  fancied  came  the  words,  "Hello,  Mis- 
souri, etc."    Those  nearest  the-  table  were  sitting  down  which 
afforded  me  a  view  of  the  case  of  chips  and  the  dealer,  who, 
having  slipped  the  cards  into  his  silver  case,  looked  up,  recog- 
nized me,  and  at  the  same  time,  with  a  significant  smile  on  his 
handsome  face,  shoved  a  stack  of  blue  chips  toward  me.    Sure- 
ly here  is  an  evil  agent  in  every  deck  of  cards,  in  every  faro 
and  poker  chip  an  angel  of  darkness,  which  entice  the  unwary 
to  physical  ruin  and  lure  him  step  by  step  into  moral  suicide, 
if  not  spiritual  destruction.    That  stack  of  blue  chips  was  so 
fascinating  and  contained  such  wondrous  charms  that  I  could 
not  withstand  the  temptation  to  indulge,  and  so  I  passed  in  the 
requisite  fifty  dollars  and  took  it  into  my  possession.    I  com- 
menced placing  the  chips  on  the  cards  in  a  most  promiscuous 
manner  without  any  regard  to  order  or  attention  to  the  case 
keeper,  and,  strange  to  say,  won  four  out  of  every  five  bets.  At 
the  end  of  the  deal  I  had  in  front  of  me  seven  stacks  of  blue 
chips  which,  after  deducting  the  fifty  dollars  paid  for  the  first 
stack,  left  me  three  hundred  dollars  winner.  Just  as  the  dealer 
tapped  the  case  with  his  .long  middle  finger  and  said,  "Make 
your  bets,  gentlemen,"  someone  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room  shouted,  "Let  'em  fight."    Instantly  the  hitherto  orderly 
crowd,  which  resembled  a  Quaker  meeting  was  plunged  into  a 
chaotic  state  and  in  another  moment  the  fight  became  general. 
Every  man  was  armed  and  most  of  them  seemed  to  have  a 
grudge  at  someone  else  and  now  was  the  time,  the  propitious 
time,  to  wreak  vengeance.    Pistols  flashed  in  quick  succession, 
long  knives  glittered  in  the  bright  light,  and  strong  men  seized 
each  other  in  deadly  conflict.    Some  fought  arms  length,  while 
others  were  clutched  in  a  desperate  struggle  for  mastery  or 
death.     The  lights,  as  in  all  such  emergencies,  were   extin- 
guished as  quickly  as  possible,  yet  the  conflict  continued  and 
the  stream  of  fire  issuing  from  the  pistols  at  intervals  revealed 
the  awful  and  horrible  picture.    The  defiant  yells  of  the  scouts, 
cowboys  and  teamsters,  and  the  savage  shouts  of  miners  and 
"check  mothers"  were  changed  into  groans  and  such  earnest 
exclamations  as,  "Oh,  God,  I  am  shot,"  came  from  the  "Anglo- 
Saxon ;"   "Carajo!  Santissima  Maria,"  cried  the   disciples   of 
Montezuma  and  the  humble  descendants  of  Ham  shouted,  "Fo" 
de  Lawd,  I  jis  b'leve  de  Devil  have  got  inter  de  white  folks." 
At  the  beginning  of  the  fight  I  pocketed  my  chips  and  when 
the  lights  were  put  out  threw  myself  on  the  floor  under  the 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


faro  table,  as  it  was  dangerous  to  stand  up  and  utterly  impos- 
sible to  get  out  of  the  room.  The  conflict  grew  so  desperately 
violent  that  those  not  engaged  in  it  became  panic  stricken  and 
made  a  blind  rush  for  the  door,  the  table  was  pushed  from  over 
me,  and  several  men  one  after  another  stepped  on  me  and  one 
heavy  fellow  planted  his  foot  on  the  small  of  my  back  with 
such  force  as  to  completely  disable  me,  so  that  I  made  no  fur- 
ther efforts  to  rise.  The  panic,  however,  stopped  the  fight.  The 
lamps  were  quickly  relighted  and  the  room  cleared  of  the  un- 
fortunates, then  the  musician  resumed  his  seat  and  soon  filled 
the  hall  again  with  men,  and  the  chips  and  coin  again  began  to 
click  over  the  tables  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  I  was 
carried  to  my  lodging  place  where  I  remained  in  bed  for  sev- 
eral days,  during  which  I  carefully  reviewed  my  life  and  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  if  I  continued  in  such  a  course  I  would 
sooner  or  later  become  a  physical  and  moral  wreck.  There  in 
the  solitude  of  my  chamber,  thousands  of  miles  from  home  and 
friends,  I  made  a  solemn  vow,  invoking  the  presence  of  my 
dear  mother's  spirit  to  witness  the  same,  that  I  would  never 
gamble  any  more,  and  as  far  as  possible  shun  the  society  of 
gamblers.  With  one  exception  I  have  never  been  inside  of  a 
gambling  house  since,  and  on  that  occasion  I  entered  to  see  its 
proprietor  on  business  which  had  no  relation  to  his  vocation; 
otherwise  I  have,  in  this  vow,  as  with  the  one  made  to  my  sis- 
ters that  I  would  drink  no  more  intoxicating  liquors,  "fought 
a  good  fight  and  have  kept  the  faith." 

At  this  time  of  the  year  (middle  of  December)  there  was 
not  much  work  in  progress  and  failing  to  find  employment,  and 
having  ceased  gambling,  my  income,  of  course,  ceased  also, 
while  my  expenses  averaged  about  twenty  dollars  per  week; 
therefore  I  readily  concurred  in  a  proposition  of  a  little  Scotch- 
man— familiarly  known  as  "Honest  Scotty" — who  said  we 
could  spend  the  winter  months  in  hunting  and  trapping  which 
he  thought  would  be  more  agreeable  and  profitable  to  us  than 
laying  idle  in  the  city,  in  which  the  scenes  of  misery  and  want 
would  cause  our  hearts  to  bleed  in  sympathy  for  our  unfor- 
tunate fellow  creatures  whom  we  couldn't  aid  except  at  the 
risk  of  reducing  ourselves  to  the  same  conditions  confronting 
them.  "Scotty"  had  had  considerable  experience  in  mining 
towns  and  knew  what  he  was  talking  about,  besides  I  had  al- 
ready seen  enough  to  convince  me  that  the  picture  of  distress 
he  presented  was  not  drawn  from  imagination  and,  having  de- 
cided to  accompany  him,  was  anxious  to  get  away  at  once. 
Early  next  morning  we  packed  our  provisions,  blankets  and 
traps  on  his  old  "cayuse"  (pony)  and,  after  depositing  our 
money  with  a  business  firm  of  Helena,  set  out  for  the  Mis- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  89 

souri  river.    On  or  near  the  present  site  of  Bedford  we  erected 
our  winter  quarters.     After  putting  the  finishing-  touches  on 
our  hut,  and  having  placed  our  traps,  we  began  preparing  our 
first  supper  in  our  new  home.    "Scotty"  made  the  bread — de- 
licious bread — while  I  made  the  coffee  and  cooked  the  meat. 
The  odor  from  the  frying  bacon  and  jack-rabbit  aroused  our 
savage  neighbors.     Sneaking  coyotes,  with  Sarah  Bernhardt 
waists,  set  up  a  monotonous  wail  which  would  have  terrified 
General  Grant  to  a  greater  degree  than  did  the  howling  of 
their  Georgia  brethren ;  large,  bold  and  nearly  white  wolves, 
with  Bill  Nye  physiognomies,  began  to  howl  and,  as  the  dark- 
ness became  denser,  drew  nearer  and  nearer  until  we  could 
see  their  flashing  eyes  and  glittering  teeth  as  they  pranced 
within  the  radius  of  the  light  from  our  camp  fire.     When  we 
went  to  bed  there  must  have  been  a  hundred  of  these  ferocious 
looking  beasts  within  a  dozen  rods  of  us.     At  intervals  they 
howled  singly  and  collectively,  snapped  and  snarled  at  each 
other  most  viciously,  the  eyes  of  those  standing  or  sitting  just 
within  the  rays  of  light  resembled  little  balls  of  fire  which  gave 
to  the  scene  a  sort  of  Chinese  fireworks  display,  for  they,  as 
the  animals  moved  their  heads  from  side  to  side,  changed  from 
red  to  green,  from  green  to  blue,  or  pink  to  gray,  just  as  the 
light  happened  to  strike  them.    When  this  semi-circlet — I  say 
"semi"  because  our  camp  was  in  the  edge  of  the  brush  with 
heavy  timber  and  the  river   north  of  us,  while  the   prairie 
stretched  away  to  the  south — of  sparkling,  forty-colored  gems, 
resembling  the  footlights  in  a  theatre  and  excited  the  most  in- 
tense admiration;  it  also  filled  me    with    horror   and    sent    a 
stream  of  cold  chills  up  the  spinal  column  at  the  thought  of  the 
piobability  of  my  slender  body  being  devoured  by  this  pack  of 
hungry  wolves  and  coyotes.    For  a  while  I  lay  resting  myself 
on  my  elbow  watching  their  capers  and  listening  to  the  won- 
drous variety  and  peculiar  modulations  of  their  voices,  and 
wondered  if  they  were  thus  inspiring  themselves  with  courage, 
like  a  boy  whistling  through  the  dark  woods,  or  summoning 
their  distant  brethren  to  assist  them  in  making  a  successful  at- 
tack upon  us,  and  to  share  in  the  feast.  These  were,  of  course, 
unpleasant  thoughts  and  I  dwelt  upon  them  for  a  time  but  the 
fire  glow  caused  mother  nature  to  assert  her  rights  and  being  of 
a  reckless  disposition,  with  a  strong  will,  I  was  enabled  to  cast 
them  off  and  adopt  in  their  stead  the  fatalistic  view  of  the  situ- 
ation— if  eaten  by  wolves  I  would  not  be  hung,  hence  my 
head  dropped  on  the  pillow  and  I  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

We  rose  next  morning,  embraced  by  a  calm  which  was 
lonesome  and  oppressive.  The  wolves  and  coyotes  would  have 
been  welcome  visitors  now,  but  were  nowhere  to  be  seen  or 


90 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


heard.  The  pony,  motionless  as  a  stump,  was  the  only  living 
thing  in  sight,  and  the  "quack  quack"  of  a  duck  in  the  river  was 
the  only  sound  that  reached  our  ears.  "Scotty"  after  breakfast 
loaded  his  gun  with  buckshot  and  said,  "Now,  my  lad,  we'll  go 
up  the  river  and  see  if  we  can  find  a  deer."  Passing  the  gun 
to  me  to  hold  he  sat  down  on  the  end  of  a  log  and  filled  and 
lighted  his  pipe  for  the  last  time,  for  just  as  he  rose  from  the 
fire  a  gun  cracked  and  poor  "Scotty"  fell  dead  at  my  feet.  I 
wheeled  around  to  see  whence  came  the  shot  and  beheld  five 
stalwart  Bloods  in  their  war  paint  coming  toward  me  and  one 
of  them  holding  a  smoking  rifle  in  his  hand.  Further  explana- 
tion of  their  design  was  unnecessary.  I  fired  both  barrels  of 


Seven  Dead  Indians  in  this  Escapade. 


the  gun  and  two  braves  expired.  I  then  dropped  the  gun,  drew 
a  pistol  and  sent  another  warrior  into  the  presence  of  the  great 
"Manitap."  I  threw  the  pistol  up  to  cock  it — after  the  fashion 
of  Slade  and  Carson — intending  to  shoot  again  but  the  bursted 
cap  slipped  from  the  tube  preventing  free  action  of  cylinder, 
and  my  fruitless  efforts  to  get  it  to  revolve  again  somewhat 
disconcerted  me.  The  surviving  braves,  seeing  something  was 
wrong  with  the  pistol,  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  and  be- 
fore I  could  draw  my  other  pistol,  bounded  forward  to  my  side, 
one  of  them  dealing  me  a  fearful  blow  on  the  head  with  his 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  91 

tomahawk.  I  fell  to  the  ground  in  a  helpless  or,  as  it  were, 
paralyzed  condition,  yet  conscious  of  all  that  was  taking  place 
around  me.  There  were  other  eyes  bent  on  this  tragic  scene 
and  before  my  captors  got  me  securely  bound  the  report  of  two 
rifles  reached  us  and  one  of  the  braves  fell  dead  across  my 
legs,  and  the  other  one  though  wounded  succeeded  in  making 
his  escape. 

My  rescuers  had  been  prospecting  in  the  mountains  north 
of  the  river  and  were  on  their  way  to  Helena  for  fresh  supply 
of  provisions  and  blasting  powder,  and  having  seen  the  smoke 
issuing  from  our  camp  and  the  Indians  slyly  approaching  the 
latter,  they  concluded  that  the  reds  were  bent  on  mischief  and 
hastened  forward  with  the  above  result.  My  friends,  after  ex- 
amining the  Indians,  remarked  that  a  large  party  of  Bloods 
had  been  on  a  warlike  expedition  against  the  Crows  and,  hav- 
ing been  scattered  or  most  likely  all  killed  but  those  attacking 
"Scotty"  and  myself,  were  on  their  way  home.  These  fellows 
feeling  disappointed  and  angry  thought  to  avert  some  of  the 
ridicule  that  would  be  heaped  upon  them  by  their  brethren  by 
taking  home  with  them  a  white  scalp  and  a  white  captive,  to- 
gether with  their  worldly  possessions. 

The  Blood  Indians  had  a  custom  founded  no  doubt  upon 
our  Savior's  advice  to  the  disciples  to  take  with  them  "neither 
purse  nor  script,"  which,  when  on  the  war  path,  was  strictly 
adhered  to  for  they  regarded  life  as  nothing  and  no  hardship 
or  danger  too  great  to  undergo  in  order  to  win  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  their  fellows.  If  they  started  out  empty  handed 
and  returned  with  the  ponies  and  scalps  of  their  enemies,  they 
would  be  looked  up  to  as  great  men ;  but  if  they  returned  as 
they  went  they  would  be  no  worse  off  than  before,  barring,  of 
course,  their  feelings  of  disgrace  and  the  jeers  which  awaited 
them,  of  which  they  might  on  some  future  occasion  acquit 
themselves  by  a  more  successful  display  of  sagacity  and  prow- 
ess. The  trials  that  a  Blood  warrior  encountered  and  the  ob- 
stacles surmounted  in  saving  his  life  are  counted  as  nothing. 
He  must  return  with  something  that  would  be  reasonable  proof 
of  what  he  said  in  order  to  obtain  the  encouraging  approval  of 
the  tried  old  warriors  and  "Medicine  Men,"  and  the  smiles  of 
the  gentler  sex.  Hence,  the  poor  fellows  who  attacked  us, 
feeling  keenly  ashamed  of  their  unsuccessful  raid  and  dreading 
to  meet  their  friends,  were,  by  reason  of  this  just  pride,  ex- 
cusable for  their  conduct,  for  the  hardest  thing  for  any  man, 
white,  red  or  black,  to  face  is  the  ridicule  and  taunts  of  those 
who  happen  to  be  acquainted  with  his  failures.  After  piling 
some  brush  and  logs  on  "Scotty's"  grave  to  prevent  the  wolves 


92  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

from  disinterring  and  devouring  the  body,  I  repacked  the  pony 
and  accompanied  the  prospectors  back  to  Helena. 

At  this  time  Captain  Nicholas  Wall,  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, was  operating  two  hundred  freighting  teams  in  Montana. 
The  whole  being  divided  into  ten  teams,  each  having  a  fore- 
man and  one  assistant,  and  over  all  the  General  Superinten- 
dent, a  Mr.  William  Perkins,  an  English  Naturalist  and  Pub- 
licist, who  was  engaged  collecting  these  trains  at  the  company's 
ranch  on  Boulder  River,  in  Boulder  Valley,  where  they  would 
remain  during  the  winter  so  that  the  stock  could  be  more 
properly  cared  for  and  the  wagons,  yokes,  chains,  etc.,  receive 
such  repairs  as  were  necessary.  I  met  Mr.  Perkins  and  hired 
to  him  to  help  move  a  large  outfit  from  Helena  to  the  ranch, 
and,  in  doing  so,  crossed  a  range  of  mountains  dividing  Prickly 
Pear  from  Boulder  Valleys,  reaching  the  ranch  about  twelve 
o'clock  Christmas  night.  It  was  intensely  cold  and  while 
rough-lockink  the  wagons  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  in 
order  to  safely  descend  into  the  valley,  a  large  number  of  the 
men  were  frozen,  some  quite  severely ;  therefore  on  corralling 
at  the  ranch  they  pulled  the  yokes  and  bows  from  the  poor 
tired  cattle  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and,  without  further  atten- 
tion to  their  duty,  hastened  to  the  house  to  warm  themselves, 
leaving  the  yokes  and  chains  on  the  ground  to  be  covered  by 
the  fast  falling  snow.  I  did  not  go  to  the  house  until  my 
chains  were  hung  on  the  side-board  and  my  yokes  set  up  in 
their  proper  place  against  the  front  wheel  of  my  wagon.  The 
men  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  and  slept  until 
breakfast  was  ready.  When  all  (about  fifty)  were  seated  at 
the  long  table,  the  superintendent  came  in  from  the  corral  and 
said,  "I  would  like  to  know  who  drove  number  17."  Mr.  Frank 
Williams,  the  wagon  foreman,  pointed  to  me  and  said,  "The 
boy  over  there  drove  that  team."  "Well,"  said  the  superintend- 
ent, "he's  got  the  right  kind  of  stuff  in  him."  "Why  so?"  "Sim- 
ply because  he  has  properly  cared  for  his  yokes  and  chains, 
while  these  fellows  (waving  his  hand  over  the  busy  eaters)  left 
theirs  on  the  ground.  They  are  now  two  feet  under  the  snow." 
I  simply  did  my  duty  as  I  understood  it  and,  of  course,  was  not 
expecting  such  a  compliment  from  so  great  a  personage  as  the 
learned  professor.  I  enjoyed  it,  however.  Had  any  consider- 
able number  of  the  men  done  as  I  did,  there  would  have  been 
no  notice  taken  of  the  incident,  but  my  yokes  and  chains  being 
the  only  ones  visible  naturally  attracted  the  superintendent's 
attention,  and  won  for  me  his  respect  and  admiration  which 
ripened  into  warm  friendship. 

Having  finished  my  breakfast  Mr.  Perkins  asked  me  to 
accompany  him  to  his  private  apartments,  after  learning  my 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  93 

name  and  acquainting  himself  with  some  antecedents,  said, 
"Charles,  the  maneuvers  of  certain  animals,  especially  the 
beaver,  are  indicative  of  a  long  and  severe  winter ;  so  the  poor 
fellows  who  happen  to  be  without  money  or  employment  will 
necessarily  have  to  suffer  many  privations,  hardships  and  en- 
dure the  agony  that  hunger  produces  before  the  avenues  of 
business  are  again  unlocked  by  the  return  of  warm  weather. 
This  being  true,  and  a  fact  that  you  are  a  boy  far  from  home 
and  friends,  together  with  the  pluck  and  energy  you  displayed 
last  night,  has  enlisted  my  sympathy  for  you,  and  hence  feel 
it  my  duty  to  interest  myself  in  your  behalf;  therefore  I  pro- 
pose to  give  you  your  board  and  twenty-five  dollars  per  month 
from  now  until  the  first  of  May,  and  after  that  the  prevailing 
wages,  should  you  desire  to  remain  with  us."  The  mines  had 
shut  down  for  the  winter  and  the  ox  and  mule  trains  had  gone 
into  winter  quarters,  thus  throwing  thousands  of  men  out  of 
employment,  many  of  whom  would  gladly  have  given  what 
little  money  they  had  and  their  utmost  labor  to  secure  their 
board  and  lodging  for  the  winter,  therefore  I  not  only  gladly 
but  thankfully  accepted  Mr.  Perkins'  generous  offer.  Provis- 
ions of  all  kinds  were  extremely  high,  flour  was  worth,  or  at 
least  sold  at,  one  dollar  per  pound,  while  tobacco  brought  seven 
dollars  for  a  like  amount;  merely  a  marked  contrast  between 
the  price  of  this  filthy  .weed  and  the  "staff  of  life,"  yet  sentient 
beings,  stamped  with  divine  image,  and  endowed  with  facul- 
ties of  reason  and  reflection,  disgraced  themselves  by  begging 
the  former,  while  they  subjected  their  bodies  to  attacks  of 
rheumatism  and  debauched  their  souls  by  pawning  their 
clothes  and  blankets  for  the  latter.  Large,  fine  looking  men, 
who  a  few  days  before  Christmas  boasted  of  taking  their  meals 
($1.50  each)  at  the  Star  and  St.  Louis  restaurants,  after  the 
holidays  were  forced,  by  hunger,  to  solicit  the  crumbs  that  once 
fell  from  the  tables  of  their  more  fortunate  brothers.  This 
state  of  affairs  though  humiliating  to  an  inexpressable  degree, 
was  better  than  resorting  to  dishonesty,  which,  no  matter  how 
trifling,  was  punished  by  death  by  the  vigilance  committee, 
which  reigned  supreme,  and  which,  while  it  checked  crime  in 
those  not  under  the  shadow  of  its  protecting  wing,  became  in 
itself  a  most  terrible  and  corrupt  organization.  Innocent  men, 
known  to  have  money,  were  taken  from  their  beds  at  midnight, 
conveyed  in  an  old  hack  to  the  slaughter-house,  in  "Dry- 
Gulch,"  and  hung  to  a  limb  of  a  pine  tree  standing  just  in 
front  of  it.  Having  strangled  a  victim  to  their  greed,  they  then 
pinned  to  his  clothes  a  card  bearing  this  inscription,  "Horse 
Thief,"  "Roda  Agent,"  or  "Stage  Robber,"  and  left  the  body 
suspended  between  heaven  and  earth  until  morning,  when  it 


94  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

was  taken  down  and  dumped  into  a  hole  like  a  cat  or  a  dog. 
Either  of  the  above  titles,  if  not  sufficient  to  prove  the  victim 
guilty,  sufficed  to>  place  the  murder  where  it  justly  belonged,  on 
the  shoulders  of  the  invincible  "committee." 

The  hardships,  exposures  to  inclement  weather,  and  the 
suffering  by  hunger  fell  principally  upon  the  miners  and  team- 
sters, while  the  professional  scouts  and  experienced  cowboys 
enjoyed  the  necessary  comforts  of  life.  The  services  of  these 
men  could  not  be  dispensed  with,  as  dispatches  and  business 
communications  had  to  be  carried  from  fort  to  fort  and  from 
town  to  town,  while  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  have  the 
cattle  carefully  guarded  to  prevent  them  straying  away  or  be- 
ing driven  off  by  unscrupulous  men — though  their  wages  were 
small  compared  to  summer  prices,  yet  handsomely  paid  if  the 
extra  cost  of  living  be  considered. 

Early  in  January,  1866,  Mr.  Perkins  was,  by  reason  of  the 
high  price  of  tobacco,  induced  to  send  the  team  to  Fort 
Benton  for  a  load  of  "Army-Navy."  Mr.  Frank  Williams,  the 
foreman,  Billy  Gay,  the  noted  scout,  another  man  whose  name 
I  have  forgotten,  and  myself  were  selected  to  make  this  trip; 
and  the  reason  for  so  many  going  with  one  team  was  for  pro- 
tection against  small  parties  of  hostile  Indians.  We  arrived 
at  the  Fort  without  trouble  or  delay,  got  our  tobacco  and  re- 
turned to  the  government  farm  on  Sun  River,  where  we  met 
Mr.  Perkins  and  his  chief  clerk.  Snow  began  falling  and  con- 
tinued until  it  lay  three  feet  deep  on  the  level,  running  an  ef- 
fectual blockade  upon  our  further  progress.  There  were  in  the 
wagon  two  ten  gallon  kegs  of  fine  Bourbon,  for  Mr.  Perkins* 
private  use,  and  finding  himself  shut  in  by  the  snow,  he  or- 
dered one  of  the  kegs  tapped  so  that  its  exhilirating  contents 
might  dispel  the  monotony  of  the  situation.  The  men  spent  the 
time  playing  cards  and  drinking  whisky,  and  my  refusal  to  in- 
dulge in  either  placed  me  for  the  time  being,  outside  the  pale 
of  their  consideration  and  respect,  and  reduced  me,  in  their  es- 
timation to  a  common  menial.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  get- the  wood 
and  keep  the  fires  going,  to  do  the  cooking  for  the  party  and 
look  after  the  stock.  The  poor  cattle,  the  pick  and  flower  of 
more  than  fifteen  hundred  head,  were  slowly  but  surely  starv- 
ing to  death,  and  all  would  have  died  had  it  not  been  for  my 
efforts  to  save  them.  I  went  out  every  day  and  cut  down  wil- 
lows and  small  trees  fpr  them  to  browse  on  and  with  a  miner's 
shovel  managed  to  find  for  them  a  little  grass  by  scooping  the 
snow  away  in  spots.  The  poor  things  followed  me  from  spot 
to  spot  like  pet  lambs  and  licked  up  the  grass  like  a  prairie  fire. 
I  was  disgusted  with  the  drunken  crowd,  while  my  sympathies 
were  wrought  to  the  highest  pitch  for  the  poor  cattle  and  three 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  95 

ponies,  and  every  moment  I  could  spare  from  the  house  was  de- 
voted to  relieving  their  wants.  I  worked  like  a  hero,  yet  despite 
my  best  efforts  they  became  thinner  and  weaker.  Besides  they 
were  beset  by  clouds  of  voracious  magpies,  who  were  bent  on 
devouring  them  alive.  They  ate  great  holes  along  the  back 
and  shoulders  where  the  poor  creatures  could  not  reach  them 
with  their  tails.  These  little  birds,  something  like  a  jaybird  but 
larger,  with  long,  yellow  or  black  bills,  were  so  bold  and  de- 
termined in  their  work  of  destruction  that  they  even  questioned 
my  right  to  drive  them  from  their  prey,  and  flew  hither  and 
thither  about  my  head  uttering  their  protests  with  screams  and 
chatters  in  the  most  vehement  manner.  I  shot  a  great  many, 
but,  like  flies  in  preserve  making  time,  there  seemed  to  be  a 
dozen  ready  and  willing  to  take  the  place  of  each  one  killed.  I 
was  obliged  to  tie  strips  of  canvas  and  old  gunny  sacks  on  the 
backs  of  the  stock  to  prevent  its  annihilation  by  these  ener- 
getic and  courageous  members  of  the  feathered  tribe.  On  two 
occasions  I  reported  the  situation  to  Mr.  Perkins,  but  each  time 
he  sent  me  away  amid  a  shower  of  oats  and  disparaging  epi- 
thets, from  which  I  could  not  flee,  and  had  no  desire  to  resent, 
since  they  came  from  a  mad  man,  a  beast  in  human  form. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  farm  house  it  was  occupied  by 
two  old  trappers,  who  welcomed  us  most  heartily.  They  read- 
ily joined  in  the  games  and  zealously  helped  to  drink  the  su- 
perintendent's good  whisky.  My  fellow-laborers,  too,  joined 
heart  and  soul  in  the  festivities  to  please  the  chief,  who  was 
master  of  ceremonies,  and  who  ordered  the  games  and  paid 
for  the  liquor;  they  seemed  to  have  no  thought  of  our  situa- 
tion, nor  care  as  to  what  became  of  the  stock  or  load  of  to- 
bacco. This  carousal,  for  three  or  four  days,  was  conducted  in 
the  most  friendly  and  courteous  manner  possible,  then  they  be- 
gan to  jangle  about  unfairness  in  dealing  the  cards,  applied  un- 
gentlemanly  epithets  to  each  other,  and  each  accused  the  other 
of  being  drunk.  I  expected  to  see  a  fight,  but  somehow  they 
kept  from  coming  to  blows,  which  was  a  wonder,  considering 
the  fact  that  the  seven  men  in  less  than  so  many  days  drank 
twenty  gallons  of  whisky ;  yet  the  greatest  wonder  to  me  was 
that  the  whole  party  escaped  serpentine  visitations,  and  so 
quickly  regained  equilibrium  after  such  a  spree. 

Near  the  close  of  the  seventh  day  the  snow  ceased  falling, 
and  during  the  night  the  wind  began  howling,  therefore  when 
we  arose  the  next  morning  the  Heavens  were  filled  with  the 
flying  crystals.  The  magpies  fled  before  the  storm,  and  I  ex- 
pected the  cattle  and  ponies  had  done  likewise,  but  they  were 
found  huddled  together  in  behind  an  old  shed  not  far  from  the 
house,  and  thus  had  unconsciously  corralled  themselves.  I  cut 


96  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

some  willows  and  threw  them  in  to  the  almost  famished  ponies, 
then  returned  to  the  house  and  gathered  up  a  bushel  or  two  of 
old  cold  bread  which  had  accumulated  during  the  week  by  rea- 
son of  the  men  not  eating,  yet  demanding  fresh  bread  at  each 
meal,  which  I  fed  to  the  poor  cattle.  By  noon  the  men  were  tol- 
erably sober  and  capable  of  realizing  the  seriousness  of  our  sit- 
uation and  when  after  dinner  I  raked  the  cold  bread  into  a  pan 
and  asked  Mr.  Perkins  to  accompany  me,  they  seemed  greatly 
surprised,  none  more  so  than  the  superintendent  himself;  but 
he  followed  close  after  me  and  on  reaching  the  snow-bound  cat- 
tle and  ponies  with  intense  interest  watched  me  feed  them  and, 
after  hearing  how  I  tied  canvas  and  gunny-sacks  on  them  and 
fought  the  magpies,  scooped  snow  off  the  grass  and  cut  wil- 
lows to  feed  them,  and  of  how  he  had  abused  and  cursed  me 
for  doing  my  duty,  he  fell  upon  his  knees  in  the  snow  and  most 
eloquently  begged  my  pardon  and  blessed  and  praised  me  so 
earnestly  that  I  was  half  beside  myself,  and  did  not  know 
whether  to  regard  the  extra  labor  I  was  subjected  to  as  a  mis- 
fortune and  hardship  or  a  blessing. 

The  stock  was  now  well  cared  for  by  my  companions  who 
were  led  by  the  old  trappers  to  a  piece  of  low  lands  where  the 
grass  was  thick  and  heavy,  and  after  shoveling  away  the  snow 
they  used  their  long  knives  in  mowing  the  grass  which  they 
carried  to  the  stock,  as  it  could  not  be  induced  to  leave  the  shel- 
ter while  the  storm  lasted.  When  we  emerged  from  the  house- 
on  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  after  the  wind  arose,  there  was 
not  a  speck  of  snow  in  sight  except  the  little  heaps  behind 
the  shed  and  house  and  that  on  the  mountains.  The  rapidity 
with  which  a  strong  wind  sweeps  two  or  three  feet  of  snow 
from  a  valley  or  plain  is  truly  surprising  and  no  less  so  is  the 
calm,  balmy  weather  which  follows  one  of  these  terrific  wind 
and  snow  storms.  Therefore,  the  beautiful  morning  after  nine 
days  of  gloom  and  monotony  was  to  an  inexpressible  degree 
encouraging  and  refreshing.  The  magpies  and  other  birds  re- 
turned and  twittered  and  sang  to  us  as  though  it  were  a  May 
morning,  while  along  the  ridge  in  front  of  the  house  the  coy- 
otes frisked  merrily  about  and  howled  out  their  appreciation 
of  and  thankfulness  for  the  return  of  pleasant  weather. 

The  superintendent  and  his  clerk  hastened  back  to  Helena. 
We  followed  with  the  team  until  reaching  "Medicine  Rock 
Hill,"  an  exceeding  high  mountain  over  which  the  road  lay. 
Half  way  up  the  hill  we  encountered  a  snow  drift  on  its  steep- 
est part  and  our  cattle  being  weak  we  were  compelled  to  re- 
turn to  the  mouth  of  Prickly  Pear  Canyon  and  go  into  winter 
quarters  in  an  old  cabin.  There  was  and  doubtless  exists  to- 
day, a  tradition  among  the  Northwest  Indians  (especially  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  97 

Peigans)  concerning  this  mountain.  Anything  not  compre- 
hensible to  the  Indian  mind  is  termed  "Medicine,"  so  that  the 
greater  the  mystery  the  more  potent  and  consequential  the 
"medicine,"  hence  "Medicine  Rock  Hill,"  as  on  its  summit  was 
enacted  a  stupendous  mystery — a  miracle.  Mr.  Per- 
kins, while  at  the  government  farm  on  Sun  River, 
asked  the  old  Peigan  Chief,  who  visited  us  there, 
why  the  mountain  was  thus  named.  The  reply 
was  to  the  following  effect:  His  forefathers  in  passing 
from  one  valley  to  another,  crossed  this  mountain  on  a  trail, 
now,  or  then,  occupied  by  the  wagon  road,  and  on  reaching 
its  summit  (about  noon)  it  suddenly  became  dark  as  midnight 
and  the  travelers  being  frightened  by  the  change,  prostrated 
themselves  on  the  ground  and  prayed  for  the  restoration  of 
life,  which,  in  answer  to  their  united  petitions  as  they  sup- 
posed, gradually  returned  in  all  its  glory  and  loveliness.  Mr. 
Perkins  then  inquired  how  long  since  this  extraordinary  event 
occurred.  The  Chief  counted  the  "moons"  (or  years)  by  shut- 
ting and  opening  his  hands,  each  time  he  did  so  meaning  ten. 
The  superintendent,  after  adding  up  his  tally  marks,  said  that 
the  sun  had  been  in  a  total  eclipse  and,  according  to  the  chiefs 
count,  happened  about  eight  hundred  years  ago.  Mr.  Perkins 
was,  as  I  have  elsewhere  said,  a  man  of  science  and  profound 
learning  and  capable  of  clothing  the  children  of  his  brain  in 
the  most  attractive  and  common-sense  manner  possible.  He 
was  very  decided  in  his  convictions  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
North  American  Indians  which,  after  hearing  the  chief's  story, 
became  more  deeply  rooted  than  ever.  He  averred  that  the 
tribal  customs,  religious  rights,  and  marriage  ceremonies  of 
the  Northwest  Indians  pointed  unmistakably  to  the  fact  that 
they  were  descended  from  the  Israelites,  and  most  likely  a  por- 
tion of  the  so-called  "lost  ten  tribes,"  and  had  reached  the 
American  continent  by  way  of  the  Behring  Straits.  The  Mor- 
mons hold  substantially  the  same  views  in  reference  to  the 
origin  of  the  Indians  as  did  Mr.  Perkins,  with  the  exception 
that  they  reached  America  from  the  East  instead  of  the  West. 
Medicine  Rock  Hill  then  is  not  only  an  interesting  point, 
but  is  proved  to  be  one  of  the  "ancient  mountains,"  on  top  of 
which  is  a  few  acres  of  open,  level  ground,  dotted  here  and 
there  with  curiously  formed  piles  of  stone,  some  the  result 
of  volcanic  eruptions,  while  others  were  erected  by  human 
hands.  It  was  here  that  darkness  overtook  the  Indians  and 
the  great  miracle  of  restoring  life  was  performed  for  their 
special  benefit.  Hence  the  Indians,  singly  or  collectively,  hav- 
ing faith  in  the  traditions  of  their  fathers,  will  not  pass  the 
sacred  spot  without  making  some  sort  of  a  sacrifice  in  order 
to  reassure  the  unseen  spirit  of  their  faithfulness.  Some  gash 


98  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

their  legs  and  arms  and  prostrate  themselves  on  the  ground  as 
an  evidence  of  their  love  and  devotion  to  the  "Great  Monitau 
of  the  Happy  Hunting  Grounds,"  while  others  scatter  "wam- 
pum" or  some  other  article  that  would  be  a,  real  sacrifice  to 
their  comfort  or  vanity  to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  "Great 
Monitau  of  Darkness  and  Misery,"  whose  wisdom  and  power 
they  claim  is  co-equal  with  that  of  the  former  great  spirit. 
This  belief  and  ceremony  of  the  Indians — common  to  all  the 
North  American  tribes — evinces  an  earnestness  of  faith  in,  and 
consistent  devotion  to,  the  supernatural  not  surpassed,  if 
equalled  by  their  more  enlightened  brothers,  and  which,  more 
than  anything  else,  convinces  me  that  instead  of  one  there  are 
at  least  two  Supreme  Beings,  the  one  presiding  over  the  moral, 
intellectual  and  spiritual  nature,  inspiring  pure  thoughts,  noble 
actions  and  worthy  aspirations ;  while  the  other  rules  over  the 
appetites,  perpensities  and  animal  instincts  which  foster  ex- 
cesses, prompts  improprieties  and  encourages  ignoble  deeds. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Prickly  Pear  Canyon,  at  the  mouth  of  which  we  were 
camped,  is  thousands  of  feet  deep  and  several  miles  in  length ; 
its  western  wall  is  precipitous,  almost  perpendicular  in  many 
places  and  in  others  great  ledges  of  limestone  crop  out  and 
rise,  one  above  the  other,  like  the  steps  leading  to  the  upper 
court  of  Monte  Zuma's  temple  and  which,  at  intervals,  is  split 
and  waterworn  into  fantastic  shapes  resembling  the  ruins  of 
an  ancient  mosque  or  castle.  In  the  crevices  of  this  mighty 
stairway,  which,  like  Jacob's  ladder,  pierces  the  heavens,  grow 
a  variety  of  small  fruit,  such  as  choke  cherries,  mountain  cur- 
rants and  sarvis  berries,  on  which  the  grizzly  bear  loves  to 
feed.  The  east  side  of  the  canyon,  covered  with  white  pine, 
spurce  and  some  cedar,  rises  gradually  until  its  summit  is  lost 
in  the  heavens  far  above  the  timber  line.  At  the  bottom  of  this 
canyon  flows  the  Prickly  Pear  River,  a  clear,  cold,  rapid 
stream,  such  as  the  poets  love  to  linger  over  and  which  will 
always  fill  the  heart  of  the  true  lover  of  nature  with  rapture 
when  he  beholds  its  crystal  fluid,  and  listens  to  its  joyous 
music,  as  it  rushes  over  its  rocky  bed  and  small  rapids  on  its 
way  to  the  gulf. 

Messrs.  King  &  Gillett,  of  Helena,  secured  a  charter  to 
build  a  "toll  road"  through  this  canyon,  which  would  obviate 
the  necessity  of  pulling  teams  over  "Medicine  Rock  Hill,"  a 
most  lavorious  task  frought  with  many  dangers  and  hardships. 
About  forty  men  with  two  weeks'  provisions  were  sent  from 
Helena  to  build  the  road,  and  were  at  work  when  we  arrived 
at  the  canyon.  I  soon  tired  of  lounging  idlv  about  the  cabin, 
and,  about  the  first  of  February,  visited  the  road-workers' 
camp.  The  overseer  was  preparing  a  gang  of  fifteen  men  for 
another  camp  farther  up  the  river  and  gladly  employed  me 
to  accompany  them  as  cook.  In  a  lovely  cove  about  a  mile 
from  Clark's  ranch,  at  the  head  of  the  canyon,  surrounded  by 
stately  pines,  Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  elk  and  black-tailed  deer, 
the  company  went  into  permanent  quarters,  and,  after  erect- 
ing a  comfortable  hut  out  of  poles  and  pine  boughs,  set  to 
work  on  the  road.  Our  provisions  were  soon  exhausted,  leav- 
ing us  at  the  beginning  of  a  snow  storm,  lasting  three  weeks, 


100  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

during  which  time  we  lived  on  elk  and  deer  meat  straight,  yet 
the  men  did  good  work  even  on  this  meager  fare.  Our  em- 
ployers made  several  efforts  to  send  us  provisions,  but  each 
time  the  pack  mule  drivers  were  compelled  to  return  to  the 
city  by  reason  of  the  fierceness  of  the  storm  and  the  fear  of 
snow-blindness.  The  situation  was  monotonous  and  the  daily 
menu  uninviting,  and  especially  so  since  we  had  neither  salt 
nor  pepper  with  which  to  season  it ;  therefore  two  young  men 
and  myself,  all  having  money  with  us,  and  more  deposited  in 
Helena,  decided  to  return  to  the  city.  My  experience  in  the 
snow  storm  on  Sun  River  ought  to>  have  been  sufficient  to 
warn  me  from  making  this  start  for  Helena;  yet  experience, 
though  the  harshest  and  best  of  teachers,  fails  to  make  an  im- 
pression on  the  faculty  of  cautiousness  of  such  reckless  dis- 
positions as  mine;  or,  as  a  blunt  old  divine  of  Iowa  puts  it, 
"Some  people  learn  from  experience,  but  sense  has  to  be 
pounded  into  others."  This  was  my  case  exactly.  I  had  the 
experience,"  but  no  sense  which  must  be,  and  was,  "pounded" 
into  me.  My  young  friends  were  large,  courageous  fellows 
and  anxious  to  get  back  to  the  city,  and  through  their  zeal  and 
encouragement  I  managed  to  not  only  stifle  the  feeble  voice 
of  experience  and  reason,  but  utterly  ignored  the  advice  of 
our  comrades,  who  endeavored  to  persuade  us  not  to  take  the 
trip.  This  sensible  advice  was  given  just  after  breakfast,  while 
we  were  preparing  to  start  and  the  laughable  manner  in  which 
it  was  delivered  increased  our  desire  of  returning  to  Helena. 
The  young  men  had  never  seen  a  real  snow-blizzard,  and  con- 
sequently knew  nothing  of  the  dangers  they  were  likely  to 
encounter.  They  regarded  the  stories  of  our  friends  as 
"trumped  up"  to  deter  us.  While  I  admitted  all  that  was  said 
to  be  true,  I  was  nevertheless  bent  on  making  the  trip,  for 
once  having  promised  to  do  a  thing,  the  yawning  abyss  of 
hell  itself  would  not  prevent  me  from  making  an  effort  toward 
its  fulfillment. 

After  acknowledging  the  compliments  and  hearty  good 
wishes  of  our  comrades,  we  bowed  ourselves  out  of  camp  and 
plunged  into  the  trail  leading  to  Clark's  ranch.  On  reaching 
the  edge  of  the  timber  skirting  the  valley,  we  found  a  vast  ocean 
of  snow  spread  out  for  our  view.  Across  the  valley,  thirty  miles 
in  extent,  could  be  seen  a  dark  ridge  rolled  up  against  the 
sky,  extending  to  the  .right  and  left  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  This  dark  ridge  was  the  timber  on  the  Boulder  Range 
of  mountains  at  the  base  of  which  is  located  the  city  of  Helena. 
It  seemed  but  a  few  miles — a  common  illusion  in  the  crystal 
atmosphere  of  these  elevated  regions — from  where  we  stood 
to  the  dark  line  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley.  It  was  one 
of  those  clear,  calm,  cold  mornings  when  the  very  thought  of 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  101 

going  out  makes  ones  ears  tingle  and  the  flesh  hug  the  bones 
more  closely,  but  the  distance  seemed  so  short  and  the  antici- 
pation of  a  meal  at  the  Star  Restaurant  offered  an  irresistable 
temptation.  We  resolutely  entered  the  great  sea  of  snow 
which  was  above  my  knees,  but  dry  and  soft,  readily  yielding 
to  the  pressure  of  legs — the  men  taking  turns  leading  in  order 
to  favor  me  as  much  as  possible.  The  leader  kept  his  eye  on 
the  dark  line  and  his  thoughts  centered  upon  hot  rolls,  ranch 
butter  and  fresh  oysters,  which  acted  as  a  goad  to  urge  him 
forward. 

We  had  traveled  at  least  one-third  of  the  distance  when 
a  regular  "North-Wester"  swept  down  upon  us.  In  less  than 
ten  minutes  the  whole  expanse  of  heaven  was  filled  with  fly- 
ing snow  and,  like  an  immense  impenetrable  veil  reaching 
from  earth  to  the  throne  of  God,  cut  off  our  view  of  the  Boul- 
der as  well  as  the  Prickly  Pear  range  of  mountains  which  we 
had  just  left.  This  foolhardy  undertaking  was  simply  a  repe- 
tition of  my  experience  in  the  sand  storm  on  Bitter  Creek  and 
all  that  I  suffered  on  that  occasion  from  thirst  and  hunger  was 
as  nothing  compared  to  what  I  endured  in  this  snow  storm 
from  cold  and  awful  apprehensions  as  to  what  the  final  out- 
come would  be  of  this  rash,  uncalled  for  adventure.  However, 
the  wheel  had  made  its  first  revolution,  the  balls  were  in  mo- 
tion and,  of  course,  we  had  to  abide  by  the  consequences.  My 
companions  were  cheerful  and  had  great  faith  in  their  physical 
abilities  and  confidential  belief  they  could  walk  a  straight  line 
without  an  objective  point  to  guide  them.  If  one  of  them  had 
been  constructed  with  greater  activity  in  the  right,  and  the 
otler  in  the  left  side,  and  with  frequent  changes  of  leaders, 
v/e  might  have  zigzagged  ourselves  across  the  valley,  but 
they  were  unfortunatelv  built  on  the  same  plan,  to  describe 
the  same  circle,  whether  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  does  not 
matter  since  the  result  was  what  it  was.  We  toiled  wearily 
on.  The  snow  was  constantly  lising  and  falling  about  us,  the 
sun  glanced  up  frjin  the  brilliant  surface  and  the  reflecting 
rays  were  dazzling  and  painful  to  the  eyes ;  the  wind  grew 
stronger  and  fiercer,  loading  the  air  with  clouds  of  snow  and 
filling  us  with  painful  forebodings  as  we  strained  our  eyes  ?n 
vain  to  get  another  glin.pse  of  the  Boulder  range,  but  alas! 
we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  sea  with  white  waves  rolling 
over  us.  We  no  longer  feared  the  Bloods,  nature  herself  was 
the  foe  with  which  we  had  to  contend,  and  the  most  energetic, 
relentless  enemy  she  was,  too.  However,  we  pushed  forward 
as  rapidly  as  possible,  but  in  silence.  A  scene  of  enchantment 
confronted  us.  Vast  towers  of  snow  rose  vertically  into  the 
sky,  they  sprang  up  so  suddenly  and  one  after  another  chased 
past  us  with  such  fearful  rapidity  that  our  heads  began  to 


102  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

swim.  They  were  beautifully  luminous,  by  reason  of  the  sun 
glistening  through  the  floating  crystals,  presenting  all  the 
hues  of  the  rainbow.  I  was  strangely  affected  and  watched 
them  glide  by  with  feelings  that  baffled  description.  The 
mighty  rushing  wind  filled  my  ears  with  a  buzzing  sound  like 
the  hum  of  a  circular  saw  whirling  through  an  oak  log.  My 
eyes  distorted  the  natural  outlines  of  my  comrades,  and  the 
huge  columns  of  snow  took  on  fantastical  shapes  and  stalked 
across  the  plains  as  if  they  were  endowed  with  supernatural 
life.  From  regarding  so  intently  these  wonderfully  beautiful 
funnel-shaped  clouds  of  snow  as  they  danced  along,  sometimes 
plunging  into  one  another,  causing  both  to  mingle  again  with 
the  common  element  or  form  new  columns,  there  came  upon 
me  a  fainting  or  falling  sensation.  I  felt  weak  and  sick,  be- 
came dizzy,  m}'  eyes  seemed  to  be  filled  with  pricking  needles 
and  sand  and  were  extremely  painful;  peculiar  objects  made 
their  appearance  to  my  bewildered  brain  and  I  cried  out,  "I 
am  stricken  with  snow-blindness" — to  me  an  unexpecting  and 
crushing  calamity.  'Cheer  up,  Charles,"  said  one  of  my  ccii- 
panions,  "for  it  is  nearly  sundown  and  we  cannot  be  very  far 
from  Helena/'  I  was  getting  very  tired  and  begun  to  lag,  but 
the  hopeful,  confident  assurance  that  we  were  not  far  from 
the  city  braced  me  up  wonderfully,  and  I  kept  close  to  my 
friends  for  another  hour,  but  could  not  distinguish  one  form 
from  another,  except  as  they  spoke  to  me  or  to  each  other. 

"The  sun,"  as  one  of  the  boys  expressed  it,  "has  settled 
behind  the  snow-capped  Sierras,"  the  wind  ceased  to  blow,  but 
the  warmth  of  the  declining  sun  caused  the  temperature  to 
fall  several  degrees ;  our  hands  and  ears  tingled  with  cold,  our 
stomachs  chilled  and  collapsed  and  seemed  to  be  held  firmly 
against  the  spine  by  some  mechanical  appliance.  We  shouted 
until  hoarse  and  fired  our  pistols  in  the  hope  of  attracting  the 
attention  of  some  one  who  would  come  to  our  rescue,  but  no 
answer  greeted  our  expectant  ears,  only  the  echoes  of  our  own 
voices  came  back  to  mock  us.  We  "cussed  and  discussed"  the 
subject  of  "snow  dumplins  seasoned  with  a  Northwester,"  as 
the  old  trapper  put  it,  from  a  practical  and  experimental  stand- 
point, and  concluded  we  had  "played-the-fool"  by  not  heeding 
the  advice  of  our  friends.  Just  before  daylight  the  wind  be- 
gan to  whistle  again,  filling  the  atmosphere  with  flying  snow 
and  we,  like  the  previous  day,  wandered  over  the  valley,  not 
knowing  in  what  direction  we  were  going,  yet  hoping  and  be- 
lieving we  were  near  Helena.  "When  the  sun  rises,"  said  one 
of  my  comrades,  "we  can  get  the  right  course  and  hold  it  by 
keeping  the  wind  on  one  side  all  the  time,"  but  to  our  aston- 
ishment and  dismay  that  luminous  orb  made  its  appearance 
in  the  northwest,  instead  of  rising  in  its  accustomed  place ; 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  103 

and  the  wind,  from  the  way  the  snow  rose  about  us,  seemed 
to  issue  from  the  earth  as  if  intentionally  to  defeat  our  pur- 
pose, for  it  was  about  and  on  all  sides  of  us  at  the  same  time. 
About  noon  we  came  in  sight  of  timber  and  small  patches  of 
bare  ground  and,  like  little  children  shouting  with  delight,  we 
rushed  forward  to  embrace  the  monarchs  of  the  forest.  We 
tried  in  vain  all  of  the  arts  known  to  woodcraft  in  our  efforts 
to  start  a  fire.  Then  arose  a  discussion  as  to  whether  we  had 
wandered  to  the  east  or  west  of  Helena,  as  we  all  felt  positive 
of  being  in  the  timber  that  skirted  the  Boulder  Range  of 
mountains  and  which  was  doubly  convincing,  since  our  be- 
wildered minds  had  set  the  sun  going  east  instead  of  west. 

The  mind  in  its  normal  condition  would  have  detected 
this  error  at  once,  for  if  we  had  been  on  the  south  side  of  the 
valley  the  timber  would  have  been  between  us  and  the  sun, 
but  the  opposite  was  the  case,  thus  showing  that  we  were  on 
the  same  side  of  the  valley  from  which  we  had  started.  My 
friends  thought  we  were  west  of  the  city,  but  I  supposed  my 
reasons  for  believing  otherwise  by  pointing  out  familiar  ob- 
jects, familiar  only  in  my  imagination,  as  I  had  never  before 
seen  them — such  as  the  twisted  trunk  of  a  tree  or  a  peculiar 
shaped  boulder;  we  were,  however,  really  east  of  Helena,  but 
my  idea  of  that  fact  was  based  upon  instinct  rather  than  from 
any  real  knowledge  I  had  of  the  surroundings.  I  was  stupi- 
fied  by  cold,  hunger  and  general  exhausted  vitality,  rendering 
me  incapable  of  intelligent  argument.  My  comrades,  too,  were 
badly  worn,  which  prevented  their  recognizing  my  real  condi- 
tion, and  hence  my  entreaties  rather  than  my  logic,  enduced 
them  to  go  west,  which  proved  to  be  the  right  course.  I  gave 
out,  lay  down  at  the  base  of  a  large  pine  tree  and  finally  pre- 
vailed on  the  boys  to  leave  me  and  hasten  on  to  town  and 
send  someone  back  with  a  horse  after  me.  They  soon  met  the 
old  hunter  from  Clark's  ranch,  at  the  head  of  Prickly  Pear 
Canyon,  who  directed  them  to  the  ranch  and  then  hurried  on 
after  me.  I  had  passed  the  point  of  suffering  and  was  sleep- 
ing "the  sleep  that  knows  no  waking,"  when  the  old  hunter 
arrived.  He  understood  the  situation  and  lost  no  time  in  try- 
ing to  arouse  me,  but  at  once  placed  me  in  his  saddle,  sprang 
on  behind  to  keep  me  from  falling  off  the  horse,  and,  by  tak- 
ing a  cut-off  through  the  woods,  reached  the  ranch  only  a  few 
minutes  behind  my  companions,  who,  after  partaking  of  a 
good  meal  at  Mr.  Clark's  expense,  passed  on  down  the  can- 
yon to  the  road-workers'  camp. 

Mr.  Clark  was  one  of  those  large-hearted,  whole-souled 
and  sympathetic  old  Frenchmen  so  frequently  met  with  on 
the  plains,  and  frontiers  of  civilization.  There  is  an  old  pro- 
verb, very  current  in  my  boyhood  days  in  Missouri,  which 


104  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

says,  "fool  for  luck,  a  poor  man  for  children,  and  a  Dutchman 
for  dogs,"  and  I  will  add  a  Frenchman  for  Indian  women,  for 
Mr.  Clark  possessed  the  characteristic  fondness  of  his  race  for 
the  gentler  sex,  and,  of  course,  kept  about  his  ranch  all  the 
time  half  a  dozen  of  the  fair  subjects  of  his  Peigan  neighbors, 
to  whom  he  assigned  the  task  of  restoring  me  to  conscious- 
ness. One  of  these  humble,  gentle,kind-hearted  women  was 
at  my  bedside  day  and  night.  They  seemed  to  anticipate  my 
every  wish,  and  placed  before  me  the  very  best  that  Mr. 
Clark's  table  afforded.  They  made,  of  mountain  herbs,  a  de- 
coction with  which  they  bathed  me  three  times  a  day,  for  a 
week,  and  two  days  more  were  spent  in  gently  rubbing  me 
with  the  palms  of  their  hands.  The  liquid  they  used  in  bath- 
ing me  was  a  fiery  red,  and  produced  a  tingling,  burning  and 
unpleasant  sensation,  but  the  rubbing  was  soothing  and  de- 
lightful, promoting  a  speedy  return  of  vital  energies,  which, 
in  a  few  days,  enabled  me  to  resume  my  former  position  as 
cook  for  the  road  workers. 

The  kind,  fatherly  care  bestowed  on  me  by  Mr.  Clark,  the 
untiring  watchfulness  and  faithful  ministry  to  my  wants  by 
his  humble,  but  devoted  women  was  never  compensated  for 
except  through  my  sense  of  increasing  gratitude,  which  the 
English  language  does  not  afford  words  strong  enough  to 
convey.  I  offered  to  pay  my  benefactor  for  the  trouble  he  had 
been  put  to  in  caring  for  me,  but  he  emphatically  refused  to 
accept  the  same,  saying  that  he  felt  doubly  repaid  for  what  he 
had  done  by  seeing  me  restored  to  health,  especially  so  since 
"French  blood"  flowed  in  my  veins. 

Sentimentalists  and  philanthropists  are  doing  much  writ- 
ing and  talking  nowadays  on  the  subject  of  crime,  and  puz- 
zling their  brains,  passing  sleepless  nights  and  ruining  their 
health  in  their  efforts  to  devise  means,  or  discover  some  plan, 
by  which  criminals  can  be  painlessly  executed.  If  the  suffer- 
ing preceding  the  transition  from  consciousness  to  uncon- 
sciousness could  be  avoided,  I  would  recommend  these  gen- 
tlemen to  urge — if  nothing  short  of  life  for  life  would  suffice 
— the  adoption  of  freezing  or  drowning  as  being  not  only  the 
least  painful,  but  the  most  genteel  way  of  disposing  of  con- 
demned men.  I  am  inclined,  however,  to  favor  freezing  as 
the  death  penalty,  nothwithstanding  the  suffering  prior  to  in- 
sensibility to  pain,  as  after  that  period  until  death  intervenes, 
the  victim  would  experience  such  pleasurable  sensations  as  to 
fully  compensate  him  for  the  agony  endured.  My  own  exper- 
ience under  the  pine  tree,  and  while  being  conveyed  from  there 
to  the  ranch,  is  a  case  in  point.  I  had,  before  laying  down, 
become  insensible  to  cold  and  soon  drifted  into  the  realms  of 
most  exquisite  joy  and  lovely  scenery.  I  seemed  to  be  float- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  105 

ing  on  atmospheric  waves,  over  beautiful  valleys,  vine-clad 
hills,  and  forest  covered  mountains,  with  the  air  impregnated 
with  a  delicious  odor  of  flowers,  laden  with  the  songs  of  the 
rarest  birds,  and  resounding  with  the  most  melodious  strains 
of  vocal  and  instrumental  music.  If,  as  the  old  colored 
preacher  of  Georgia,  while  addressing  his  people,  averred, 
"Hell  am  (de)  composed  ob  icebergs,  lakes  frozen  to  de  bot- 
tom, mountains  and  valleys  cubbered  wid  snow,"  then  I  have 
had  a  foretaste  of  the  horrors,  the  inexpressible  grief  and  pain 
in  store  for  those  who  enter  the  abode  of  his  Satanic  Majesty; 
while  on  the  other  hand  I  have  anticipated  some  of  the  joys 
and  sweets  of  the  Lord's  Mansion.  The  toll  road  was  com- 
pleted by  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  I  claimed  the  honor  (if 
honor  it  can  be),  of  driving  the  first  team  through  Prickly 
Pear  Canyon,  for  I  was  driving  the  lead  team  in  Mr.  Perkins* 
first  train  to  Fort  Benton.  Returning  to  Helena  I  met  my 
step-brother,  Joe  Fry,  who  had  just  received  a  letter  from  his 
mother,  stating  that  my  father  had  returned  from  the  war  and 
that  he  was  very  anxious  to  learn  something  definite  relative 
to  my  whereabouts.  I  gave  Joe  to  understand  that  I  was  con- 
templating a  trip  to  California,  and,  perhaps,  on  to  Alaska, 
and  requested  him  to  so  inform  his  mother.  I  had  seriously 
thought  of  making  the  trip  to  Alaska,  but  abandoned  it  the 
moment  I  heard  of  my  father's  return,  and  thought  only  of  him 
and  determined  to  go  home  after  making  one  more  trip  to 
Benton.  I  said  nothing  to  Joe,  however,  about  my  intentions, 
so  that  my  unexpected  arrival  there  would  be  a  complete  and 
happy  surprise  to  my  dear  old  father. 

Helena,  at  this  time,  was  in  the  morning  of  her  glory. 
New  mines  had  been  discovered,  the  news  of  which  spread 
rapidly,  bringing  hundreds  of  gold-seekers  to  the  city.  The 
various  business  houses  were  crowded  with  cash  customers, 
while  Charlie  Curtis,  city  auctioneer,  set  the  streets  ablaze 
with  profanity,  evoked  much  laughter  by  his  ludicrous  com- 
parisons and  told  white  lies  enough  to  damn  a  hundred  men 
every  day  as  he  dashed  up  and  down  the  street  tryiner  to  sell 
for  one  hundred  dollars,  an  old  cayuse  (pony)  worth  about  ten 
dollars.  Every  foot  of  ground,  on  both  sides  of  grizzly  gulch 
from  end  to  beginning  was  being  worked  with  might  and 
main  by  the  excited  delvers  after  the  precious  metal ;  some 
were  washing  dirt  bv  the  panful,  others  used  "rockers"  and 
still  others  employed  the  more  pretentious  sluice-boxes,  while 
at  the  head  of  the  gulch  stood  a  sixty-stamp  quartz  mill  that 
run  day  and  night.  During  this  scramble  after  gold,  teamsters 
were  scarce  even  at  one  hundred  dollars  per  month,  while 
able-bodied  men  could  earn  from  eight  to  fifteen  dollars  per 
day  in  the  mines.  I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  there  were  no 


106  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


able-bodied  men  among  the  teamsters.  On  the  contrary,  there 
were  many  strong,  well-developed  fellows  driving  teams  for  a 
living.  Such  men  will  accept  small  wages  at  light  work,  where 
board  is  included,  rather  than  exert  themselves  for  more 
money ;  yet  teaming  is  the  hardest  work  any  man  ever  engaged 
in — I  mean  in  a  moral  and  healthful  sense.  The  duties  of  a 
teamster  are  not,  in  themselves  considered  laborious,  except 
at  short  intervals,  such  as  extricating  a  wagon  from  a  mud- 
hole,  drawing  an  ox  team  from  the  mire,  loading  and  unload- 
ing the  train;  but  the  exposure  to  all  kinds  of  weather,  the 
hard  fare  he  is  subjected  to,  together  with  the  debauch  at  the 
end  of  each  trip  is  many  times  more  injurious  to  his  physical 
constitution  than  the  work  required  of  him ;  and  so  far  as  de- 
moralization is  concerned,  I  know  of  no  element  more  thor- 
oughly calculated  to  destroy  the  finer  qualities  of  his  charac- 
ter than  the  immoral  atmosphere  always  clinging  to  the 
freight  train,  for  while  it  is  in  motion  there  is  poured  into  his 
ears  a  continual  stream  of  profanity,  and  when  in  camp  he 
hears  nothing  but  vulgar  jests  and  obscene  stories  which 
would  bring  a  blush  of  shame  to  the  cheek  of  a  Hottentot  or 
create  a  wholesome  disgust  in  the  bosom  of  an  Australian 
Bushman.  In  fact  such  a  vocation  dwarfs  the  intellect,  de- 
grades the  manners  and  defiles  the  speech  of  man — the  inevi- 
table result  of  idleness  and  the  absence  of  refining  influence  of 
pure,  Christian  women.  But  these  immoralities  of  language 
and  conduct  are  common  failings  where  large  bodies  of  men 
congregate  without  the  presence  of  spotless,  high-minded 
ladies  to  remind  them  of  their  manliness  and  moral  obliga- 
tions ;  they  exist,  however,  in  a  greater  degree  among  plains- 
men than  among  people  who  are  collected  in  towns  and  cities 
for  the  reason  that  the  latter,  being  permanently  located,  make 
some  pretensions  toward  sociability  and  strive  after  moral  and 
intellectual  supremacy,  which  effort  is  greatly  encouraged  by 
the  constant  arrival  of  strangers  to  whom  it  would  be  bad  form 
to  address  words  unbecoming  to  a  gentleman;  while  the  for- 
mer go  on  long  trips,  thrown  together  for  weeks  and  months 
without  the  intervention  of  new  faces  or  new  thoughts,  and, 
since  "familiarity  breeds  contempt,"  they  become  disrespect- 
ful to*  their  employers,  discourteous  to  their  companions  and 
assume  an  air  of  haughty  indifference  for  culture,  purity  and 
refinement.  The  professional  scouts  look  upon  the  cowboys 
as  being  a  notch  or  two  below  them  in  the  scale  of  importance 
and  the  knights  of  the  lariat  regard  with  disfavor  the  stage- 
drivers;  and  these  "ribbon"  manipulators  raise  clouds  of  "dust 
and  profanity  as  they  whirl  past,  throwing  dirt  and  sand  into 
the  faces  of  the  mule  drivers,  who  in  turn  sit  bolt  upright  in 
their  saddles  on  the  near  wheeler  with  "jerk-line"  in  the  left 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  107 

and  big  blacksnake  whip  in  the  right  hand  and  hurry  past  the 
ox-teamster  without  so  much  as  a  nod  or  a  smile  of  brotherly 
recognition.  Here,  however,  the  scale  of  descent  comes  to  a 
standstill,  for  the  ox- drive,  has  not  a  boot  black  even  upon 
whom  to  cast  his  reproachful  looks,  and  before  whom  to 
spread  his  record  of  dignity — he  occupies  absolutely  the  lowest 
strata  of  western  society.  Yet  driving  cattle  is  as  honorable 
work  as  that  of  any  other  calling,  and  from  which  has  sprung 
some  illustrous  characters;  for  instance,  Mr.  Mackey,  Nevada's 
bonanza  king,  once  engaged  in  that  employment,  and  it  was 
said  bv  one  who  crossed  the  plains  with  him  that  he  could 
not  at  the  end  of  the  journey  (Salt  Lake  City),  pick  out  and 
correctly  yoke  up  his  own  team.  The  faculty  of  memory  was 
so  deficient  that  he  could  not  remember  the  spots  or  the  num- 
ber of  wrinkles  on  the  horns  of  his  cattle,  yet  his  perceptive 
organs  and  the  faculty  of  acquisitiveness  were  naturally  of  re- 
markable keenness  and  depth  ;  the  former  enabled  him  to  rec- 
ognize not  the  external  markings  of  cattle,  but  the  conditions, 
peculiarities  and  qualities  of  things  of  vastly  greater  import- 
ance, while  the  latter  gave  him  the  desire  and  will  to  seize 
upon  and  utilize  them  for  his  special  benefit.  Mr.  Heck  Reel, 
Cheyenne's  millionaire  and  cattle  king,  laid  the  foundation  of 
his  fortane  by  driving  teams  on  the  plaino ;  and  the  famous 
Ben  Holliday  in  his  youth  wielded  a  large  hemp  whip  over  a 
prairie  breaking  team  in  Missouri.  I  could  mention  many 
other  gentlemen  of  today,  famous  in  politics  and  for  their 
wealth,  who  followed  the  plains  for  a  livelihood  or  to  avoid 
Uncle  Sam's  draft.  Driving  team  on  the  plains,  if  not  condu- 
cive to  health  and  morality,  is  legitimate  business,  therefore 
the  plainsman  is  worthy  of  some  consideration  and  respect, 
especially  so  since  the  great  west  of  today  is  largely  indebted 
to  him  for  its  wonderful  growth  and  prosperity ;  for  without 
his  strong  arm,  unflinching  courage  and  indomitable  will,  in 
times  which  tried  men's  souls,  she  would  not  be  what  she  is 
today — the  queen  of  the  continent. 

Lying  at  the  wharf,  on  our  return  to  Fort  Benton,  were 
two  steamboats  with  cargoes  partially  unloaded.  Each  had  on 
board  a  number  of  passengers  from  Eastern  cities,  bound  for 
the  various  mining  towns  in  Montana,  Utah  and  Idaho.  Cap- 
tain Wall,  proprietor  of  the  boats  and  of  the  train,  had  come 
up  with  them  from  St.  Louis,  and,  expecting  our  outfit,  under 
the  management  of  Bob  Ford,  to  meet  him  at  Benton,  had 
agreed  to  provide  for  them  transportation  to  Helena.  They 
had  heard  many  wonderful  things  about  the  wild,  untamable 
teamsters  of  the  West,  and  Mr.  Wall  had  no  doubt  heightened 
their  terror  of  them  by  relating  real  or  fictitious  stories  con- 
cerning the  audacity  and  marvelous  daring  of  the  objects  of 


108  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

their  fearful  apprehension  and  curiosity.  I  was,  as  before, 
driving  the  lead  team,  and  on  Hearing  the  landing,  the  team- 
sters poured  forth  a  deafening  yell.  Mr.  Wall,  whom  I  had 
not  seen,  had  been  to  the  Fort  and  was  returning  to  the  wharf 
accompanied  by  his  superintendent,  Mr.  Perkins,  and  several 
of  Uncle  Sam's  officers.  I  noticed  that  these  gentlemen  as 
well  as  the  passengers  were  closely  watching  my  maneuvers 
and  observing  my  dress.  Driving  down  to  the  landing  to  have 
my  wagon  loaded,  my  cattle  shied  off  from  the  road  and  start- 
ed to  run,  I  raised  my  hand  and  shouted,  "Whoa,  Big  Horn 
and  Butler;"  the  old  wheelers  set  back  upon  their  haunches, 
bringing  the  team  to  a  halt,  my  big  whip  fell  in  rapid  succes- 
sion on  the  backs  of  the  poor,  unfortunate  cattle;  then,  the 
wagon  being  stopped  at  the  proper  place,  my  comrades  cheer- 
ed loudly,  the  passengers  seemed  to  be  terrified,  while  the 
gentlemen  with  the  superintendent  stood  gazing  at  me  as  if 
they  were  undecided  whether  to  admire  or  condemn  my  con- 
duct. However,  I  felt  somewhat  proud  of  the  terror  I  excited 
in  the  passengers,  inwardly  rejoiced  at  the  cheers  of  my  com- 
panions and  gratified  by  the  approving  smile  on  Mr.  Perkins* 
countenance,  but  Mr.  Wall  was  displeased  with  the  exhibition 
and  approached  me  with  a  rapidity  and  stately  tread  arid  with 
fire  flashing  from  his  piercing  eyes,  said,  "Young  man,  I  de- 
mand a  more  humane  treatment  of  those  cattle  than  you  gave 
them  just  now.  I'll  give  you  to  understand,  sir" — he  did  not 
finish  the  sentence,  for  I  began  uncoiling  my  whip  intending 
to  strike  him  with  it,  and  at  the  same  time  poured  forth  a  vol- 
ley of  "cuss"  words  which  excited  the  envy  and  admiration  of 
"Big  Ben" — the  champion  profane  swearer  of  the  West — and 
nonplussed  the  gentleman.  My  insolence  and  profanity  were 
more  than  he  had  bargained  for,  and  turning  on  his  heel,  with 
hands  on  his  ears  as  if  he  meant  to  exclude  the  awful  words, 
fled  from  my  presence.  Wildly  gesticulating  he  stopped  for 
a  moment  and  hurriedly  said  something  to  Mr.  Perkins,  who 
came  directly  to  me  and  asked,  "Charles,  do  you  know  the 
gentleman  you  were  cursing  just  now?"  "No,  sir."  "Well, 
that  is  Mr.  Wall."  I  felt  certain  that  the  superintendent  had 
received  orders  to  turn  me  off,  and  not  liking  the  idea  of  be- 
ing discharged,  I  was  about  to  take  advantage  of  his  delay  in 
using  the  fatal  words  by  demanding  my  wages.  Mr.  Perkins, 
reading  my  thoughts,  then  said,  "My  boy,  I  have  not  come  as 
you  suspect,  for  the  purpose  of  dismissing  you  from  our  ser- 
vice, but  rather  to  assure  you  of  the  Captain's  respect  and 
friendship.  He  likes  your  pluck  and  admires  the  skill  you  dis- 
played in  the  management  of  your  team,  but  told  me  to  cau- 
tion you  about  whipping  it  so  severely."  I  felt  deeply  grate- 
ful for  Mr.  Wall's  good  opinion,  promptly  confessed  that  I  had 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  109 

overreached  the  bounds  of  reason,  and  that  I  was  not  only 
sorry  but  ashamed  of  myself  and  begged  his  pardon,  which  was 
graciously  granted.  By  noon  the  train  was  loaded,  and  the 
boys  went  to  camp  for  dinner.  Those  of  the  passengers  who 
ventured  among  the  men  did  so  for  the  purpose  of  acquaint- 
ing themselves  with  the  situation  and,  if  possible,  become 
reconciled  to  their  fate,  and  to  select  someone  with  whom  they 
entrust  their  baggage  and  morals  during  the  trip  to  Helena. 
They  passed  back  and  forth  among  the  teamsters  like  a  pren- 
ologist,  manipulating  the  head  of  a  subject,  scanning  the  feat- 
ures of  each  and  noting  the  language  they  used  and  closely  ob- 
serving their  deportment  and  the  degree  of  cleanliness  mani- 
fested. Two  or  three  of  them  condescended  to  bow  to  me  as 
they  passed,  while  two  superior  looking,  well  dressed  gentle- 
men strutted  by  apparently  oblivious  of  my  existence,  and  en- 
gaged in  conversation  with  "Big  Ben" — physically  the  filthiest 
and  morally  the  most  depraved  man  in  the  outfit — with  whom 
they  concluded  to  ride  to  the  city.  A  handsome  young. man. 
named  Cameron,  claiming  to  be  a  nephew  of  Simon  Cameron, 
the  celebrated  politician,  walked  up  to  me  and,  looking  me 
square  in  -the  eye,  while  warmly  shaking  my  hand,  said. 
"Young  man,  I  like  the  looks  of  you,  notwithstanding  your  lan- 
guage and  conduct  this  morning,  and  shall  be  glad  to  trust 
myself  and  luggage  in  your  wagon."  I  keenly  felt  the  rebuke, 
blushingly  acknowledged  his  compliment,  and  assured  him  he 
was  welcome  to  my  wagon,  and  that  I  would  use  my  best  en- 
deavors to  make  the  journey  to  Helena  as  pleasant  as  possible 
tinder  the  circumstances. 

The  teamsters  had  nothing  to  say  as  to  whether  the  pas- 
sengers should  or  should  not  ride  with  them,  but  they  had  in- 
finitely much  to  say  as  to  the  agreeableness  or  disagreeable- 
ness  of  the  trip,  for  they  had  it  in  their  power,  in  spite  of  their 
wishes  to  the  contrary,  to  annoy  them  in  a  thousand  ways  and 
it  was,  no  doubt,  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  that  led  the  gen- 
tlemen to  make  their  own  selections,  rather  than  be  assigned 
to  a  certain  wagon  by  Superintendent  Perkins.  My  wagon 
was  loaded  with  flour  on  top  of  which  I  placed  a  thick  layer  of 
long  grass  to  serve  as  a  mattress,  on  which  the  blankets  were 
spread,  and  by  pinning  up  the  sides  of  the  wagon  cover,  make  a 
very  cozy  place  in  which  to  pass  the  night.  I  cheerfully  sur- 
rendered this  comfortable  lodging  to  Mr.  Cameron  and  his 
feeble  friend,  and  spread  my  own  blankets  on  the  ground  un- 
der the  wagon.  Although  I  was  obliged  to  haul  theirs,  or 
someone  else's  baggage,  it  was  optional  with  me  whether  I 
gave  them  my  bed;  hence  Mr.  Cameron  was  unsparing  in  his 
praises  of  my  self-sacrifice  in  his  behalf,  and  frequently  de- 


110  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

clared  that  I  was  a  "noble,  generous  hearted  boy,  sadly  out  of 
place  associating  with  low,  vulgar  men."  I  often  thought  my- 
self that  I  was  worthy  of  a  higher  position  in  the  social  scale 
but  just  then  there  was  not  much  else  I  could  do;  I  was  phys- 
ically unable  for  a  miner,  there  was  a  super  abundance  of  cow- 
boys and  scouts ;  a  lack  of  educational  qualifications  barred 
me  from  a  clerkship  and  my  proud  spirit  revolted  at  becoming 
a  waiter  on  tables  in  restaurants  or  hotels.  Such  employment 
had  in  it  too  much  of  the  element  of  serfdom  to  suit  my  demo- 
cratic instincts,  and  what  little  time  I  did  work  at  the  business 
I  was  reminded  by  my  own  actions  every  day  of  the  stories  my 
father  used  to  tell  of  the  cringing,  servile  attitude  of  the  old 
slaves  of  his  Virginia  home. 

Mr.  Cameron  was  highly  educated,  of  pleasant  manners 
and  excitable  temperament  and  delighted  in  exercising  his 
feelings  by  working  upon  my  emotional  features.  Some  people 
are  redundant  in  speech  and  not  very  strong  in  the  philosophic 
side  of  the  mind — such  persons  talk  much  and  say  little  but 
Mr.  Cameron  was  of  a  different  order,  and,  though  he  talked 
much  all  he  said  was  amusing  and  interesting;  and  being  en~ 
dowed  with  good  or  large  language  he  was  enabled  to  express 
in  a  clear,  full  and  efficient  manner  all  the  facts,  with  their 
shadings  and  blendings,  relative  to  the  little  pleasantries  of 
the  elegant  home  he  had  recently  abandoned  for  a  life  in  the 
west.  He  talked  lovingly  of  his  parents  and  childhood  sports, 
and  spoke  reverently  of  his  sweetheart — the  former  made  me 
very  desirous  of  seeing  father  and  sisters,  and  the  latter  filled 
me  with  an  inexpressable  longing  to  see  my  own  dark-eyed 
Nora.  At  one  point  of  his  narrative  I  was  profused  in  tears, 
the  next  moment  convulsed  with  laughter.  We  learned  to  love 
each  other  and,  on  reaching  Helena,  parted  in  tears. 

Having  unloaded  the  train  we  repaired  to  Mr.  Perkins' 
office  to  receive  our  wages  for  the  trip,  after  which  I  pre- 
sented a  due-bill,  signed  by  the  superintendent  and  his  chief 
clerk  for  nine  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  which  I  deposited 
with  them  when  I  began  work  for  the  company,  and  Mr.  Wall, 
not  having  recognized  me  until  its  presentation,  grasped  my 
hand  in  the  embrace  of  fatherly  affection  and  said,  "My  lad,  I 
hope  you  will  not  let  our  little  fight  at  Benton  be  the  means 
of  driving  you  from  our  employment.  Mr.  Perkins  has  spoken 
of  you  in  the  highest  terms  of  praise  and  I  shall  be  exceedingly 
glad  to  have  you  rem'ain  with  us."  I  assured  him  that  our  late 
unpleasantness  was  not  the  reason  for  my  quitting  him ;  then 
told  him  of  my  father's  return  and  how  I  longed  to  see  him 
again.  "Mr.  Perkins  and  I,"  said  the  captain,  "were  talking 
of  you  this  morning  and  mapped  out  a  course  by  which  we 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  ill 

intended  making  a  thorough  business  man  of  you,  but,  having 
heard  your  story  and  feeling  a  parent's  love  I  cannot,  in  jus- 
tice to  your  father,  hold  out  any  inducement  that  would  be 
likely  to  keep  you  from  him.  I  will  say,  however,  that  if  you 
conclude  to  return  to  the  mountains,  come  to  us  and  we  will 
then  see  what  we  can  do  for  you."  Then  at  his  suggestion  I 
sold  my  fine  revolvers  and  big  whip  to  one  of  the  boys  and  ex- 
changed with  him  my  gold  dust  and  coin  for  greenbacks — the 
latter  being  worth  only  seventy-five  cents  on  the  dollar — and 
by  this  trade  my  fortune  was  swelled  to  upwards  of  sixteen 
hundred  dollars,  which  I  proudly  bore  away  in  a  beautifully 
beaded  money  belt  presented  me  by  Mr.  Wall — Mr.  Perkins 
also  gave  me  a  handsome  present  as  a  token  of  his  respect  and 
good  will.  Mr.  Wall  said  I  could  return  with  his  train  free  of 
charge  to  Benton,  and  I  could  take  passage  on  a  steamboat 
for  home.  After  receiving  the  blessings,  the  expressions  of 
love,  and  the  expressed  hope  of  a  safe  journey,  of  these  noble, 
generous-hearted  gentlemen,  I  bade  them  farewell  and  the 
next  morning  before  they  were  out  o£  bed  the  train  was  en- 
route  for  Benton. 

Having  nothing  to  do  and  detesting  the  conversation  of 
the  average  teamster,  I  wandered  from  the  road  with  my  soul 
ablaze  with  the  anticipated  joys  in  meeting  the  loved  ones  in 
old  Missouri.  I  searched  far  and  near  for  a  certain  flower 
which  possessed  all  the  hues  of  the  rainbow.  The  abundance 
and  variety  of  other  flowers  was  simply  wonderful  but  the 
species  for  which  I  searched  was  very  scarce  and  when  I  found 
one  I  greedily  plucked  it  from  its  stem,  placed  it  neatly  in  the 
center  of  a  handful  of  other  choice  flowers  and  then  (mentally) 
presented  the  handsome  boquet  to  my  darling  Nora,  the  play- 
mate of  my  childhood,  the  object  and  joy  of  my  heart.  It  is 
strange  how  the  thoughts  and  desires  so  persistently  cling  to  a 
prospective  object  which  has  recently  aroused  the  slumbering 
affections.  Previous  to  my  meeting  Mr.  Cameron,  the  hand- 
some and  fluent  New  Yorker,  I  rarely  thought  of  the  dear  ones 
at  home,  but,  when  my  face  was  turned  toward  "God's  coun- 
try," the  land  of  my  youth,  then  it  was  that  I  began  to  think 
of  them  and  frequently  said,  "Oh !  my  beloved,  every  moment, 
every  second  is  bringing  me  closer,  ever  closer  to  thee." 

Arriving  at  the  fort  I  was  delighted  to  see,  lying  at  the 
wharf,  the  little  stern-wheel  pocket  Mr.  Wall  had  spoken  of. 
And,  half  an  hour  later,  I  was  duly  booked  cabin  passenger  for 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  I  feasted  my  eyes  on  the  beautiful,  curi- 
ous and  wonderful  scenes  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  but  none 
half  so  sublime,  yet  pathetic,  as  the  one  I  beheld  some  dis- 
tance below  the  confluence  of  Milk  River  with  the  Missouri. 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


To  the  north  could  be  seen  great  clouds  of  dust  rising  and  a 
rumbling  noise,  like  that  produced  by  a  heavy  wind  rushing 
through  a  forest,  reached  our  ears.  Presently  a  long  line  of 
buffalo  appeared  on  the  ridge  overlooking  the  little  bottom. 
and  seeing  the  boat  directly  in  front  of  them,  without  halting, 
they  bore  away  to  the  left  at  a  rapid  gait  as  if  bent  on  heading 
us  off.  Their  course  led  them  to  a  precipice  some  forty  or 
more  feet  in  height,  at  the  base  of  which  the  main  current  of 
the  river  flower.  The  leaders  on  reaching  the  cliff,  tried  to 
stop  or  change  their  course,  but  those  behind  crowded  them 
over  the  precipice  and  the  whole  herd,  a  hundred  or  more,  like 
sheep  jumping  a  pasture  fence  followed  them  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. Had  it  not  been  for  the  depth  and  swiftness  of  the 
stream,  which  swept  them  on  as  they  fell  like  shot  from  a 
tower,  the  entire  band  must  have  perished  on  the  spot.  Rising 
to  the  surface  they  snorted  loudly  and  made  for  the  opposite 
shore,  and  by  the  time  the  last  one  of  the  herd  took  the  dizzy 
leap,  the  boat  was  in  the  midst  of  the  swimming  creatures.  It 
was  the  work  of  a  moment  to  form  a  loop  at  the  end  of  a  tow 
line  and  selecting  a  cow  I  caught  the  noose  over  her  head. 
By  means  of  the  great  spar  and  "nigger-head"  she  was  hoisted 
on  deck  and  slaughtered.  For  this  slight  manifestation  of  my 
skill  with  the  lasso,  I  was  dubbed  "Buffalo  Charley,"  and  much 
admired  by  the  captain  and  his  wife. 

About  the  first  of  August,  seventeen  days  after  leaving 
Benton,  the  little  boat  landed  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  I  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Kahn's  clothing  emporium  where  I  donned 
a  suit  of  fine  new  clothes,  then  boarded  the  two  o'clock  train 
for  Rushville,  and  three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  I  was  stand- 
ing in  the  presence  of  my  father. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Four  years  of  terrible  warfare  and  crushing  adversity  had 
not  affected  father's  old  Virginia  ideas  of  hospitality,  nor  his 
habit  of  interrogating  strangers.  The  old  decanter — which  I 
had  many  times  passed  around  the  board — filled  with  "Apple- 
jack" and  a  glass  were  handed  to  me  with  "Take  something 
stranger."  My  refusal  surprised  him  and  staring  at  me  for  a 
moment,  he  asked,  "What  is  your  name,  sir?"  "John  Wat- 
son." "Where  are — beg  pardon,  sir,  did  you  say  Helena,  Mon- 
tana?" "Yes,  sir."  He  was  about  to  ask,  "Where  are  you  go- 
ing, sir?"  but  the  mention  of  Helena  bethought  him  of  his 
wandering  boy  and,  as  he  again  fastened  his  large,  blue  eyes 
upon  me,  I  could  see  the  parental  love  beaming  forth  like  the 
rays  of  a  morning  sun.  It  was  all  I  could  do  to  restrain  the 
tears  and  hold  myself  from  his  throbbing  bosom,  and  kissing 
him,  which  would  have  answered  the  question  I  saw  quivering 
on  his  lips.  His  manner  was  completely  changed ;  instead  of 
an  indignant  stare,  his  gaze  was  one  of  condescension  and  he 
courteously  remarked,  "Perhaps,  sir,  you  knew  my  baby  boy; 
Polk,  out  there."  "The  object  of  my  visit,  sir,"  I  said,  "is  to 
tell  you  all  about  your  boy."  Just  then  Joe  Fry — who  had  pre- 
ceded my  arrival  by  several  days — entered  the  room  and,  ex- 
tending his  hand  toward  me,  said,  "How  do  you  do,  Polk?" 
The  next  instant  I  was  folded  in  father's  loving  embrace.  The 
parent  of  that  much  abused  prodigal  could  not  have  been  hap- 
pier than  was  my  dear  old  father  on  this  occasion.  He  wept 
like  a  child,  and  between  sobs,  said,  "Joe  told  em  that  you  had 
gone  to  Alaska  and  I  feared  I  should  never  see  you  again." 

Father  returned  from  the  war  on  Christmas  night,  1865. 
and  found  mother  in  an  almost  destitute  condition.  He  also 
found  himself  financially  wrecked.  The  Kansas  jayhawkers 
and  his  step-son  (Pance  Fry)  had  stripped  him  of  all  his  per- 
sonal property  and  all  that  was  left  of  the  well-equipped  still- 
house  was  the  stock  of  the  old  wooden  pump  ;  and  the  Missouri 
had,  with  the  exception  of  one  hundred  acres  of  timber,  swal- 
lowed up  the  once  famous  "River  Side  Farm."  He  sold  the 
timber  for  two  thousand  dollars,  which  was  barely  sufficient 
to  cancel  his  debts,  thus  leaving  him  without  a  dollar,  but  with 


114  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

an  enviable  reputation  for  veracity  and  integrity — which  he 
prized  above  everything  else.  Alfred  Fenton,  a  rich  gentleman 
of  Rushville,  of  whom  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  further  on, 
gave  father  a  start  in  the  saloon  business  and  when  I  reached 
home  he  was  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

At  the  close  of  a  week's  visit  with  my  sisters  and  sweet- 
heart, I  returned  to  my  father's  house,  only  to  find  his  family 
increased.  Joe  Fry  had  married  and  brought  his  wife  home 
and  his  brother  Richard  had  arrived  from  the  mountains,  all 
serenely  lodging  and  feasting  at  my  father's  expense.  A  few 
weeks  passed  pleasantly,  then  all  except  father  began  to  regard 
me  as  an  intruder.  Mother  slighted  me  at  the  table,  rarely 
made  my  bed,  and  did  my  white  shirts  and  underwear  up  in 
a  slovenly  manner,  while  exact  neatness  and  studied  courtesy 
in  everything  was  extended  toward  her  own  children,  thus 
making  her  neglect  of  me  all  the  more  glaring  and  significant. 
She  also  joined  them  in  criticising  my  clothing,  manners  and 
language.  When  I  made  use  of  some  western  phrase,  they, 
amid  boisterous  laughter,  exclaimed,  "that's  grammar  for  you 
with  a  vengeance,"  or  "with  which  of  the  old  masters  did  you 
study?"  I  could  barely  read  in  the  first  reader  but  could  not 
write,  therefore,  after  four  years  of  association  with  the  roughest 
element  of  the  west,  it  may  be  inferred  that  my  grammatical 
errors  were  numerous,  that  my  ideas  though  frank  and  always  can- 
did, were  crude  and  immature,  and  I  confess  that  my  dress  was 
rather  extravagant  for  a  boy.  While  their  criticisms  were  de- 
livered in  what  I  regarded  as  a  playful,  friendly  manner,  I  ac- 
cepted them  in  good  faith,  but  when  it  became  apparent  that 
they  were  poured  out  in  a  spirit  of  contempt,  I  resented  them. 
They  were  simply  trying  to  drive  me  from  home  by  their  taunts 
and  incivilities  and  on  two  or  three  occasions  mother  hinted  at  my 
father's  displeasure  of  my  presence,  but  so  long  as  he  said 
nothing  to  that  effect  himself  I  pretended  not  to  hear  or  under- 
stand her.  Then  Canna,  Joe's  wife,  a  sweet  faced,  willing  little 
creature,  whom  I  liked  very  much,  approached  me  in  a  confi- 
dential mianner  and  expressed  great  sympathy  for  me  on  ac- 
count of  father's  "discourteous  conduct"  toward  me.  It  was 
"apparent"  to  her  that  he  was  "getting  tired  of  feeding"  me 
for  nothing.  These  evil  suggestions  coming  from  one  who 
seemed  deeply  interested  in  my  welfare,  one  whom  I  respected 
and  admired  (notwithstanding  she  sometimes  laughed  at  me) 
and  being  of  a  simple  confiding  nature,  I  was  the  more  ready 
to  consider  them  in  the  light  of  reason  and  cold  facts.  Father 
one  day  remarked  that  since  I  would  not  attend  school — which 
I  declined  to  do  on  the  ground  that  I  could  not  bear  to  subject 
myself  as  laughing  stock  for  small  children — I  had  better  go  to 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  115 

work  instead  of  idling  my  time  away  and  spending  my  money 
foolishly.  Significant  glances  from  five  pairs  of  malicious  eyes 
were  shot  at  me  as  if  to  say,  "I  guess  you  will  take  the  hint 
now."  If  I  was  simple  and  confiding,  I  was  also  as  proud  as 
Lucifer  and  readily  took  "the  hint,"  since  it  came  from  lawful 
authority.  Canna's  subtle  tongue  had  shaken  my  faith  in  fath- 
er's love,  poisoned  my  mind  with  the  oil  of  suspicion,  and  pre- 
pared me  to  resent  his  kindly  advice,  coupled  with  his  frowns 
and  the  manner  in  which  it  was  given,  convinced  me  that  Can- 
na  was  right.  Pride  and  the  desire  to  avoid  trouble  with  my 
arch  enemy  constrained  me  to  leave  home.  I  arose  from  the 
dinner  table  before  finishing  the  meal,  went  to  the  stable,  sad- 
dled my  pony  and  rode  rapidly  away.  Arriving  at  sister 
Sarah's  house  my  temper  had  somewhat  subsided,  and  I  was 
capable  of  discussing  with  her,  in  a  dispassionate  manner,  the 
course  of  my  precipitated  flight  from  home.  We  concluded 
father's  advice  was  not  directed  at  me,  but  given  in  the  hope 
that  my  step-brothers  would  acknowledge  its  propriety  and  act 
accordingly. 

I  rode  down  to  Rushville,  one  day,  in  response  to  father's 
invitation.  Entering  the  saloon  I  found  him  alone,  and,  after 
the  little  rupture  between  us  had  been  satisfactorily  explained 
away,  he  proposed  that  I  should  enter  into  partnership  with 
him  and  assume  full  control  of  the  business,  but  I  declined  to 
accept  his  proposition  on  any  terms.  We  then  engaged  in  an 
argument  as  to  the  nterits,  or  demerits,  of  the  liquor  traffic. 
He  held  that  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors 
had  been  a  legal  and  honorable  business  throughout  the  his- 
torical period,  quoted  scripture,  and  such  political  dogmas  as 
"the  voice  of  the  people  is  the  law,"  and  "the  majority  must, 
and  will,  rule,"  to  prove  his  statements.  Of  course  I  was  not 
able  to  measure  intellectual  swords,  on  a  great  theme,  with  a 
man  of  mature  years  and  profound  wisdom,  and  who  knew  the 
Bible  almost  by  heart,  was  well  versed  in  history  and  a  veteran 
controversalist.  He  did  not,  however,  succeed  in  converting 
me  to  his  ideas  for  I  believed  then,  as  now,  that  history  and 
political  assumptions  were  not  proper  criterions  upon  which 
to  base  a  great  moral  law ;  that  the  majority  was  not  always 
right,  and  the  minority  not  always  wrong;  and  as  for  "the 
voice  of  the  people,"  history  shows  that  individual  man  has 
ever  been  prone  to  "run  after  a  multitude  to  do  evil/'  but  I 
could  not  present  my  convictions  and  hence  was  obliged  to 
adhere  to  the  one  assertion  that  it  was  "wrong  to  take  a  man's 
money  for  something  that  did  him  harm  instead  of  good." 
Father  admired  my  firmness  and  respected  the  position  I  had 
taken  to  the  extent  of  condescending  to  ask  my  opinion  as  to 


116  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

the  propriety  of  allowing  boys  to  frequent  and  lounge  about 
saloons.  In  substance  my  reply  was  that  boys  ought  to  be  per- 
mitted to  go  wherever  their  fathers  went,  and  if  the  saloon  was 
a  proper  place  for  the  latter,  the  former  would  not  be  seriously 
damaged  by  lounging  about  it.  This  discussion  was  abruptly 
terminated  by  the  entrance  of  the  widow  Yazell  (whose  two 
sons,  George  and  Kelly,  excellent  young  men,  were  among 
father's  best  customers)  who  at  first  sight  was  very  mild  and 
courteous  in  forbidding  father  to  allow  her  boys  to  come  into 
the  saloon,  then  grew  furiously  abusive.  "My  good  woman," 
said  father,  "if  I  shut  my  door  against  your  boys,  they  will  go 
elsewhere  to  spend  their  time  and  money ;  they  are  almost  of 
age  and  capable  I  think  of  judging  for  themselves  the  course  to 
pursue,  therefore,  I  cannot  comply  with  your  unreasonable  de- 
mand." Mrs.  Yazell  was  a  devoted  Christian,  an  honest  hard- 
working Christian,  and  no  doubt  felt  justified  in  invoking  from 
Heaven  a  fearful  curse  upon  my  father,  after  which  she  prophe- 
sied that  his  business  should  wither  like  Jonah's  gourd!  that 
he,  himself,  should  come  to  grief  and  shame  and  that  his  family 
should  be  utterly  destroyed — whether  the  good  lady  was  or 
was  not  uttering  words  of  inspiration  may  be  inferred  from 
subsequent  chapters.  She  said,  as  she  flounced  out  of  the  room, 
"God  is  on  my  side,  he'll  avenge  my  wrongs  and  overturn  this 
accursed  house  of  Satan."  The  word  "Satan"  had  scarcely 
passed  her  lips  when  the  building  began  to  tremble  violently, 
chairs  waltzed  around  the  room  in  regular  file,  whisky  bottles 
made  graceful  bows  at  each  other  and  then  tumbled  from  the 
shelf,  bar  glasses  made  frantic  efforts  to  get  out  of  the  rack, 
while  their  "chink  chink"  against  one  another  seemed  to  have 
a  special  significance  and  the  billiard  balls  rolled  to  and  fro 
across  the  table,  their  hard  surfaces  as  they  came  together 
produced  a  metallic  ring  not  noticeable  in  them  before.  I 
never  had  such  a  peculiar  and  awful  sensation  pass  over  me 
as  I  experienced  on  this  occasion,  and  father,  the  only  time  I 
ever  saw  him  frightened,  was  as  white  as  this  paper.  And  as 
the  terrified  widow  flew  down  the  street  she  shouted,  "Oh! 
God,  Oh !  God,  have  mercy  on  us."  She  had  presumed  a  little 
too  far  on  the  Lord's  prerogative  and  it  seemed  likely  that  she 
had  by  her  rashness,  called  upon  herself  and  us  speedy  destruc- 
tion. Father  and  I  hastened  out  of  the  room.  The  room  was 
filled  with  wonder-stricken  and  frightened  people,  some  cry- 
ing, others  on  their  knees  praying,  and  still  others  standing 
erect  with  their  hands  stretched  Heavenward  and  loudly  im- 
ploring God  to  spare  them  and  the  town.  This  amusing,  yet 
pathetic  and  awe-inspiring  scene,  was  caused  by  an  earthquake 
shock  lasting  ten  or  fifteen  seconds,  but  this  was  sufficient  to 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  117 

fill  the  people  with  excitement  and  terror.  Mrs.  Yazell,  the 
widow,  and  author  of  this  disturbance  and  fearful  apprehen- 
sion, is,  I  am  happy  to  say,  still  living-  and  prays  that  the  "gates 
of  Heaven  may  open  to  receive  Polk  Wells" — God  grant  that 
it  may  be  so. 

About  the  first  of  May,  1867,  I  went  to  Kansas,  and  hired  to 
Mr.  Howard  Glenn,  wagon  foreman  for  Russell  &  Majors,  to  drive 
a  team  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  At  this  time  the  Sioux. 
Pawnee,  Dog-Soldier,  Comanche,  and  Cheyenne  Indians  were 
committing  bloody  depredations  all  along  the  frontier  settle- 
ments from  the  Niobrara,  in  northern  Nebraska,  down  to  the 
Rio  Pecos  in  northern  New  Mexico.  Having  crossed  the 
Neosho  river  we  camped  for  dinner.  A  recruiting  officer  came 
to  the  camp,  and  after  a  well  directed  speech  on  the  cruelties 
perpetrated  by  the  Indians,  called  for  volunteers.  Seven  of  the 
men,  including  myself  and  George  Caruthers,  a  former  com- 
panion on  the  plains,  and  whom  I  had  shot  through  the  right 
arm  before  leaving  Atchison  for  attempting  to  force  me  at  the 
muzzle  of  a  pistol  to  drink  whisky  with  him,  responded  to  the 
invitation  and  immediately  set  out  on  foot  for  Council  Grove, 
where  our  captain  had  in  waiting  teams  to  convey  us  to  Junc- 
tion City,  where  we  would  be  sworn  in  and  equipped  for  the 
expedition.  While  in  Council  Grove,  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
other  recruits,  a  large  number  of  men  collected  on  the  street 
one  evening  and  were  discussing  the  various  outrages,  when  a 
woe-begone  looking  outfit  halted  in  front  of  the  excited  crowd. 
The  man  held  a  pair  of  rope  reins  over  a  span  of  very  poor 
horses,  hitched  to  a  clumsy  and  rickety  old  wagon,  behind 
which  wa.s  tied  another  horse  equally  as  poor  as  the  team.  The 
grasshoppers  had  destroyed  the  previous  year's  crop  and  now 
the  Indians  had  driven  him  from  his  little  home.  "But,"  said 
he,  smiling  sweetly,  "I'll  be  all  right  if  I  can  get  back  to  my 
wife's  people  in  Old  Missouri,  and  (pointing  to  the  extra  horse) 
I'll  sell  that  animal  for  half  he's  worth  rather  than  have  to  beg 
my  way  home."  "At  what  do  you  value  the  horse  ?"  asked 
some  one  in  the  crowd.  "Three  hundred  dollars,"  was  the 
prompt  reply.  The  shout  of  derision  that  rent  the  air  caused 
the  poor,  sick  wife  to  raise  her  head  and  peep  out  from  under 
the  tattered  and  besmeared  old  wagon  sheet;  the  children  too 
with  their  pale,  hunger-pinched  faces,  looked  out  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  The  picture  thus  presented  had  been  so  fre- 
quently reproduced  to  the  inhabitants  of  Council  Grove  that 
they  seemed  to  have  lost  all  interest  in,  pity  for,  and  desire  to 
help  such  unfortunates.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  wave  of  sor- 
row and  disappointment  that  spread  over  the  sick  woman's 
face  when  her  husband  informed  her  that  the  men  were  laugh- 


118  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  at  his  "proposition  to  sell  Frank  for  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars."  The  sickened  wife  lay  back  on  her  humble  couch, 
the  husband  picked  up  his  rope  reins,  lightly  tapping  his  horses 
with  them  said,  "Come  lads,  we  must  move  on."  "Knowledge 
is  the  hill  which  few  may  hope  to  climb.  Duty  is  the  path 
which  all  may  tread."  Here,  then,  was  an  opportunity  to  put 
in  practice  the  golden  rule,  an  opportunity  to  rebuke  an  un- 
feeling, sympathetic  people,  an  opportunity  to  do  my  duty  as 
I  felt  it,  and  thereby  make  happy  a  weary,  forlorn  family; 
therefore  my  ire  at  the  crowd  for  its  shameful  conduct  and 
sympathy  for  the  unhappy  wife  and  children,  being  aroused  to 
the  highest  pitch  I  determined  to  buy  the  animal,  and  shouted. 
"Hold,  my  friend,  let  me  look  at  your  horse."  He  brought  his 
team  to  a  halt  with  a  jerk,  walked  back  to  Frank,  untied  him 
and  led  him  around  and  around,  up  and  down  the  street,  then, 
holding  a  stick  two  or  three  feet  from  the  ground,  said,  "Frank, 
come  over,  sir."  The  horse  leaped  back  and  forth  over  the 
stick  like  a  trained  dog.  The  exercises  through  which  he  put 
the  horse  showed  that  the  animal  was  sound,  and  the  pedigree 
he  gave  him  was  doubtless  true;  both  of  which  were  wholly 
unnecessary  since  I  had  decided  to  take  him  though  he  should 
die  on  my  hands  the  next  moment  after  paying  for  him.  I 
counted  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  handed  them  to 
the  (now)  happy  man  and  sent  him  on  his  way  rejoicing.  As 
I  led  Frank  past  the  crowd  an  old  man  remarked,  "That's  a 
noble-hearted  young  man."  "Yes,"  said  another,  "a  fool  and 
his  money  are  soon  parted."  The  consciousness  of  having 
done  my  duty  toward  a  distressed  brother,  of  having  performed 
a  noble  act,  thereby  casting  the  rays 'of  sunshine  and  hope  into 
an  otherwise  clouded  life,  filled  my  mind  with  most  pleasure- 
able  sensations,  hence  I  allowed  this  misanthropic  pessimist 
and  his  ungenerous  thrust  at  my  sanity  to  pass  unheeded — I 
was  not  only  happy  myself,  but  had  made  others  so,  too. 

Arriving  at  Junction  City,  our  captain  informed  us  that 
the  call  for  volunteers  had  been  fully  responded  to  seven  days 
past,  consequently  our  little  band  of  would-be  Indian  fighters 
was  dismissed  without  ceremony. 

The  proprietor  of  the  private  boarding  house  at  which 
Caruthers  and  I  lodged,  was  head  hostler  in  the  livery  stable 
where  I  kept  Frank.  My  companion  got  work  in  the  stable, 
while  I,  for  two  weeks,  put  in  most  of  my  time  feeding,  rub- 
bing and  exercising  my  horse,  who,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  was 
as  proud  and  spirited  as  a  game-cock.  Returning  one  evening 
from  my  regular  exercise,  I  noticed  a  fine  horse  in  the  stall 
next  to  Frank,  and  since  I  know  of  no  animal  (except  a  pretty 
woman)  that  will  attract  my  attention  quicker,  or  more  thor- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  119 

oughly  arouse  my  admiration  than  a  noble  horse,  naturally  I 
wished  to  know  to  whom  the  animal  belonged.  Caruthers  in- 
formed me  that  he  ha,d  been  left  there  by  the  famous  scout. 
Wild  Bill,  who,  though  regarded  in  the  east  as  a  human  mon- 
ster, was  in  the  west  looked  up  to  as  the  prototype  of  honor 
and  manly  courage.  His  picture  was  displayed  in  every  win- 
dow. His  name  in  deeds  of  valor  on  every  tongue,  and  while 
he  was,  from  the  sod  hut  to  the  mansion,  and  from  the  camp 
fire  to  the  military  post,  the  reverenced  hero,  he  was  also  a 
terror  to,  and  the  object  of  hatred  to  evil  doers,  whom  he  pur- 
sued with  bloodhound  sagacity  and  invincible  purpose.  For 
sometime  it  had  been  my  desire  and  ambition  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of,  and  to  accompany  this  honored  and  respected 
scout  of  western  nobility  on  some  dangerous  enterprise,  and. 
putting  my  horse  away,  hurried  up  town  to  see  the  all-impor- 
tant individual.  My  conceptions  of  Wild  Bill  were  of  such 
wondrous  proportions  that  I  had  but  little  hope  of  his  conde- 
scending to  even  speak  to  me,  much  less  to  engage  me  as  a 
fighting  comrade,  yet  I  was  constrained,  as  a  bark  impelled 
against  a  craggy  coast,  to  seal  my  fate  by  personal  interview 
or  contact  with  the  scout — my  ideal  of  physical  perfection  and 
intellectual  supremacy.  I  was  standing  on  a  corner,  listening 
to  some  men  talking  about  the  outrages  of  the  Indians,  the 
depredations  of  white  robbers  and  the  too  frequent  desertions 
from  the  army,  when  Bill  rode  up  and  asked,  "Can  I  get  a  man 
from  this  crowd  to  go  with  me  for  a  few  days?"  It  was  evi- 
dent, from  his  hurried  manner,  and  determined  look,  that  he 
was  bent  on  carrying  out  some  dangerous  commission.  The 
noted  scouts  and  adventurous  characters  of  the  city  had  accom- 
panied the  various  Indian  expeditions,  and  these  fellows,  (the 
dudes  of  the  town)  brought  forth  excuses  similar  to  those  who 
were  bidden  to  the  "Great  Supper ;"  therefore  it  seemed  reason- 
ably certain  that  Bill  was  doomed  to  follow  his  quest  in  silence 
and  alone.  I  had  felt  that  a  conversation  with  Wild  Bill,  or 
even  the  privilege  of  touching  the  fringe  on  his  buckskin  coat 
would  be  an  honor  and  a  blessing,  and  moreover  inspire  me 
with  something  of  his  great  courage  and  unequalled  sagacity; 
but  now  the  opportunity  was  present,  I  shrank  from  making 
the  necessary  application,  yet  I  managed,  though  my  heart  was 
in  my  mouth,  to  say,  "I  will  go  with  you  Sir."  He  turned  his 
piercing  eyes  upon  me,  and,  with  a  frown  on  his  handsome 
face,  a  touch  of  contempt  in  his  voice,  said,  "You  don't  call 
yourself  a  man,  I  hope."  To  be  sure  I  was  but  a  beardless  boy. 
without  influential  friends  to  recommend  me,  but  had,  pre- 
viously, felt  myself  equal  to  almost  any  undertaking,  yet  on 
this  occasion  I  was  abashed,  and  quailed  beneath  the  fierce 


120  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

glances  of  the  greatest  scout  in  the  west.  As  I  retreated  a 
step  or  two  a  contemptuous  smile  spread  over  features  of  the 
spectators,  and,  resting  their  cowardly  gaze  upon  me,  they  in- 
dulged in  various  satirical  remarks  on  my  "  presumtpion"  as 
they  termed  it.  Their  unjust  criticisms  stung  to  the  quick  and 
aroused  my  wonted  boldness  and  pride,  the  all-powerful  gov- 
ernor of  moral  action,  which  sent  me  lightly  to  the  curbstone 
and  enabled  me  to  say,  "Sir,  I  may  not  be  a  man  in  size  or  age. 
but  I  am  a  man,  in-as-much  as  I  am  able  and  willing  to  follow 
whithersoever  you  may  choose  to  lead."  "Bravo/'  said  the 
scout,  dismounting  and  cordially  grasping  my  hand,  "That's 
the  way  I  like  to  hear  a  fellow  talk.  Come,  young  man,  let  us 
be  off."  We  walked  down  to  the  stable  where  we  made  a  care- 
ful examination  of  Frank,  and  after  witnessing  my  workman- 
ship, expressed  himself  as  being  perfectly  satisfied  with  my 
horse,  and  doubly  willing  to  have  me  accompany  him  on  his 
perilous  trip.  Leaving  the  stable  we  went  directly  to  his  room 
where  I  was  made  acquainted  with  his  plans  and  purposes.  "I 
have,"  said  he,  "for  several  days,  been  trailing  five  men ;  two 
of  them  are  deserters  from  Fort  Wallace,  and  the  others  are 
robbers.  I  have  here  authority — producing  the  document — to 
bring  them  back  dead,  or  alive ;  what  say  you?"  I  assured  him 
of  my  hearty  co-operation,  whereupon  he  said,  "We'll  take  a 
wash  and  go  down  to  the  restaurant  and  get  a  good  meal  before 
starting,  as  it  will  be  the  last  we  shall  enjoy  for  several  days, 
for  the  men  are  many  miles  ahead  of  us  by  this  time."  While 
T  was  washing  Bill  drew  my  knife  and  read,  engraved  on  the 
silver  plates  on  both  sides  of  the  handles,  these  words :  "From 
Kit  Carson  to  C.  P.  Wells."  As  I  turned  to  the  towel  to  dry 
my  face,  he  sprang  forward  with  the  knife  partially  raised  in 
his  right  hand,  and  with  the  left  caught  me  by  the  shoulder  and 
rudely  turned  me  around  face  to  face  with  him.  My  hair 
seemed  to  stand  erect,  for  I  thought  I  was  about  to  be  made  a 
sacrifice  to  appease  the  appetite  of  this  man-eater  of  the  west. 
Springing  quickly  to  one  side,  I  threw  myself  into  a  defensive 
attitude  and  determined  to  sell  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible. 
Bill  divined  my  thoughts  and  instantly  dropped  his  hands  to 
his  sides,  laughed  heartily  and  said,  "Charles,  don't  be  too 
hasty.  I  had  no  thought  of  harming  you.  I  saw  Kit  Carson 
last  summer,  and  he  told  me  all  about  your  little  affair  with 
Slade  at  Old  Julesburg,  and  this  knife  (holding  it  up)  is  equiv- 
alent to  a  letter  of  introduction  from  that  honored  scout  and 
friend." 

Having  finished  our  toilet  we  hastened  to  the  restaurant, 
and,  after  an  excellent  repast,  mounted  our  horses  and  rode 
rapidly  toward  the  trail  ef  the  fugitives,  who  were  heading  for 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  121 

the  Indian  Territory,  as  two  of  them  had  friends  living  at,  or 
near,  Vinita.  Wishing  to  avoid  uninteresting  details  of  this 
chase,  I  will  simply  state  that  we  captured  the  men,  and,  re- 
turning to  the  city,  delivered  them  to  the  proper  authorities, 
and  for  my  services  I  received  fifty  dollars  and  marked  praise, 
which  I  valued  a  grrat  deal  more  than  money,  from  the  famous 
scout,  manhunting  Wild  Bill. 

Next  morning  Bill  boarded  a  K.  P.  passenger  train  for 
Kansas  City,  while  Caruthers  and  myself  went  west  with  a 
haying  outfit  belonging  to  Messrs.  Brown  &  Callen  of  Junction 
City,  and  Dr.  Robison  of  Manhattan.  These  gentlemen  had 
contracted  with  "Uncle  Sam"  to  put  up  eight  hundred  tons  of 
hay  at  Fort  Wallace  and  several  hundred  cords  of  wood  at 
Monument  Station.  Mr.  Robinson,  being  the  brainy  man  and 
wire-pulling  financier  of  the  company,  accompanied  us  and,. on 
reaching  Fort  Hayes,  prevailed  on  the  Post  Commander  to 
furnish  him  fifty  negro  soldiers  in  charge  of  a  bright  mulatto 
sergeant  to  escort  his  train  to  Wallace.  Most  of  the  teamsters, 
like  myself,  were  southern  sympathizers,  hence  an  ill  feeling 
existed  between  them  and  the  sable  escort  from  the  time  it 
joined  us  until  we  separated.  After  passing  Monument  Station 
we  camped,  one  day,  on  the  Smoky  Hill  River.  I  went  down 
to  the  stream  to  water  my  horse,  and,  after  picketing  him  on 
the  grass,  returned  to  camp.  Sitting  in  the  shade  of  the  "mess- 
wagon"  were  two  white  men  and  two  negroes  playing  "seven- 
up."  This  was  a  spectacle  I  had  not  before  witnessed;  it  was 
a  little  too  much  for  my  democratic  ideas  of  social  equality, 
therefore,  in  tones  expressive  of  the  deepest  dudgeon  and  con- 
tempt, I  said :  "You  white  men  are  reducing  yourselves  to  the 
level  of  negroes  by  playing  cards  with  them."  Then,  with 
feelings  of  great  superiority  and  disdain,  I  turned  to  walk 
away,  when  the  sergeant  (who  was  one  of  the  players)  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  remarked,  "I'm  jest  'bout  as  white  as  you  is 
(which  was  certainly  true)  an'  persume  miself  bettern'n  po' 
white  trash."  Such  impudence  and  audacity  in  a  "nigger"  was 
more  than  high-pitched  rebel  gravity  could  stand,  so  I  slapped 
the  sergeant  in  the  face,  and  was  promptly  knocked  down  by 
him.  This  exchange  of  blows  precipitated  a  general 
fight,  during  which  I  had  my  shirt  torn  off  and 
was  completely  disabled  by  a  kick  in  the  stomach  from  a 
burly,  black  negro,  who  was  instantly  rendered  "hors  de  com- 
bat" by  a  lick  on  the  head  from  an  ox-bow  by  my  friend  Car- 
uthers. I  fell  backward  over  the  edge  of  an  incline  leading  to 
the  brink  of  a  precipice  overlooking  the  river.  This  incline 
was  covered  with  sand  burrs  and  prickly  pears,  whose  thorns 
had  free  access  to  my  flesh  as  I  rolled  toward  the  cliff,  on  the 


122  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

edge  of  which  I  lodged  against  some  small  bushes,  with  my 
face  toward  the  river.  The  kick  in  the  stomach,  however, 
rendered  me  insensible  to  the  thorn  thrusts,  and  unconscious 
of  my  perilous  situation,  for  had  those  bushes  given  way  I 
would  have  passed  through  fifty  feet  of  space  before  striking 
the  river  bed,  which  was  a  hard-pan  formation,  and  covered 
with  only  a  few  inches  of  water.  While  the  battle  was  raging 
most  furiously  two  strangers  appeared,  and  my  being  naked 
from  the  waist  up,  and  battling  with  a  physically  superior  foe, 
their  interest  and  attention  was  centered  upon  me,  but  for  a 
moment  their  eyes  were  taken  from  me  and  when  returned  I 
had  disappeared,  over  the  incline.  A  minute  later  the  fight 
ceased  and  I  was  becoming  conscious  of  my  situation,  when 
one  of  the  strangers  seized  my  arm  and  assisted  me  up  the  in- 
cline and  turned  me  over  to  Caruthers,  who  industriously  ap- 
plied himself  for  two  hours  extracting  thorns  from  my  body. 

Dr.  Robinson  had  been  a  surgeon  in  the  Union  Army  dur- 
ing the  rebellion,  hence  he  had,  from  the  start,  tried  to  enforce 
his  ideas  by  military  discipline  upon  his  men,  and  now,  being 
wroth  at  me  as  the  originator  of  the  row,  which  delayed  the 
train  that  evening,  he  purposed  to  chastise  him,  there- 
by putting  a  stop  to  his  pugnacity."  These  words  were  ad- 
dressed to  Mr.  Jack  Council,  the  wagon  foreman,  who  had 
known  me  all  my  life,  and  who  persuaded  the  doctor  to  aban- 
don his  rash  intentions.  The  purposed  chastisement  consisted 
of  tying  me  to  a  wagon  wheel  and  flogging  me  with  a  black- 
snake  whip.  Had  the  doctor  called  upon  the  negroes  to  exe- 
cute his  cruel  design  there  would  have  been  a  deadly  encoun- 
ter, for  every  teamster,  including  those  I  had  rebuked,  buckled 
on  his  revolvers  ready  to  defend  me.  The  doctor  and  I,- 1  am 
happy  to  say,  soon  became  good  friends,  and  he,  after  the  out- 
fit had  fulfilled  its  mission  and  returned  to  Junction  City — 
which  was  not  accomplished  without  many  noteworthy  events 
— recommended  me  to  several  gentlemen  as  an  "honest,  trust- 
worthy boy." 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1868  I  was  engaged  in 
various  ways,  sometimes  driving  hack  about  the  city,  at  others 
collecting  beef  cattle  for  the  butchers,  or  scouting  with  Wild 
Bill  for  Indians  or  other  law-breakers.  On  one  occasion  we 
got  after  three  men  who  had  stolen  five  horses  from  an  old 
farmer  near  Junction  City.  Early  twilight  of  the  second  day 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  fugitives'  camp  fire  on  the  Neosho 
River.  Leaving  the  trail  we  rode  direct  to  the  river  bottom, 
which  we  followed  down  to  within  half  a  mile  of  our  prospec- 
tive point,  when  we  halted,  and,  after  caring  for  our  horses, 
proceeded  to  eat  our  crackers  and  dried  beef  which  we  washed 


•  EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  12,3 

down  with  Neosho  water.  Having  finished  our  frugal  meal 
we  resumed  our  journey  on  foot  toward  the  fugitives  and  did 
not  halt  until  almost  within  the  radius  of  the  light  of  their 
camp-fire.  We  were  close  enough  to  occasionally  catch  a  few 
words  of  what  the  men  had  to  say.  One  fellow  laughingly  re- 
marked ,"I  guess  we  have  given  that  long-haired  cuss  the  slip 
at  last."  "Not  much,"  said  Bill  as  he  mischievously  but  good- 
naturedly  twitched  my  ear.  He  had  been  in  the  saddle  almost 
day  and  night  for  a  week,  was,  of  course,  very  tired  and  having 
implicit  confidence  in  me,  and  after  giving  me  instructions, 
stretched  himself  and  quickly  went  to  sleep.  The  men  being 
in  a  sparsely  settled  country  believed  themselves  comparative- 
ly safe,  or  they  would  not  have  started  a  fire,  yet  they  deemed 
it  advisable  to  appoint  one  of  their  number  to  stand  guard 
while  the  others  slept.  Their  sentinel  appeared  to  be  perfectly 
contented  as  he  made  regular  puffs  from  the  short  stem  of  his 
corncob  pipe.  With  the  toe  of  his  boot  he  occasionally  stirred 
the  fire  which  sent  up  fitful  blazes,  illuminating  the  woods  for 
rods  around  and  causing  the  giant-like  trees  to  assume  peculiar 
and  fantastic  shapes.  Again  my  fellow  watchman  looked  at 
his  watch  and,  turning  to  his  companion,  said,  "Come  Dick, 
get  up,  it  is  half-past  twelve  o'clock."  "Oh!  h — 1,  lay  down 
and  go  to  sleep ;  we  are  in  no  danger  here."  "That's  my  opin- 
ion, too,"  replied  the  first  speaker,  who  stretched  himself  on 
the  ground  with  head  in  his  saddle  and  slept  soundly. 

The  silver  moon  was  nearing  the  horizon  and  a  last  ray 
from  that  wondrous  orb  stole  through  the  thick  foliage  and  for 
a  moment  rested  upon  the  upturned,  handsome  face  of  Wild 
Bill.  He  lay  so  still  I  thought  him  dead  but,  gently  placing 
my  hand  on  his  broad  chest,  the  strong  regular  pulsations  of 
his  heart  convinced  me  that  he  was  sleeping  the  sleep  of  the 
brave,  the  true  and  the  just.  The  familiar  notes  of  the  coyotes 
had  long  since  died  away  and  the  horses,  too,  had  ceased  their 
monotonous  "crop,  crop"  of  the  grass ;  so  that  a  death-like 
stillness  reigned  over  the  romantic  scene.  Being  thus  left 
alone,  I  sat  down,  leaned  against  a  tree,  with  face  toward  the 
men  and  delivered  myself  up  to  the  sweet,  though  in  some  re- 
spects regretful  retrospect.  I  had  left  home  in  a,  fit  of  melan- 
choly, the  result  of  my  Nora's  seeming  indifference  toward  me. 
there  was  but  one  object  on  my  memory  and  upon  that  object 
did  my  affections  dwell.  I  was  transported  in  thought  to  the 
little  farm  house  in  Missouri  where  lived  my  Nora.  I  mentally 
gazed  into  her  deep  brown  eyes  and  again  heard  her  say  in 
faltering  tones,  "I  would  not  cross  the  plains  any  more  if  I 
were  you."  This  'is  what  she  said  the  day  I  held  her  little 
hand  in  mine  and  bade  her  good-bye.  I  had  told  sister  Ruth 


124  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

that  I  was  going  away  because  Nora  would  not  play  with  and. 
kiss  me  as  she  used  to  do  while  we  were  children.  "Oh !  you 
silly  boy,"  said  my  sister,  "Nora  loves  you  as  she  does  her  own 
soul,  but  she  cannot  grant  you  the  same  privileges  that  she  once 
did."  Ruth  was  right,  of  course,  but  I  was  unable  at  that  time, 
by  any  process  of  reasoning  at  my  command,  to  draw  an  ethic- 
al line  between  Polk  Wells  the  playfellow  and  Mr.  Wells,  the 
lover,  for  in  either  stage  of  life  my  love  for  Nora  was  as  pure 
as  it  was  ardent ;  hence  I  saw  no  excuse  for  reserve  and  con- 
ventionality. Her  sadness  at  my  departure  was  apparent  and  I 
seemed  to  gloat  on  it,  but,  sitting  in  the  loneliness  of  the  night 
in  the  presence  of  evil  men,  not  knowing  what  the  morning 
would  bring  forth,  and  with  her  sorrowful  face  before  my 
mind's  eye,  my  actions  toward  her  had  a  recoiling  force  which 
struck  me  with  a  vengeance;  my  heart  was  pierced  with  the 
arrows  of  remorse  for  having  deserted  the  loveliest  creature 
on  earth  for  the  frivilous  cause  (to  her  momentous  cause)  of 
refraining  from  an  embrace  or  withholding  a  kiss.  Oppressed 
with  the  bitterness  of  remorse  and  loneliness,  my  thoughts  nat- 
urally reverted  to  scenes  of  childhood  and  other  days  on  the 
plains,  and  my  melancholy  surroundings  recalled  the  stories 
of  the  "Middle  Ages,"  which  I  had  heard  my  father  read. 
Mailed  Knights  and  Cowled  Padres  with  their  innumerable 
serfs  and  crowned  kings  in  their  pomrp  and  glory  of  ancient 
times  all  passed  in  mental  review.  The  transition  of  my  mind 
from  one  subject  was  easy  and  rapid.  I  reflected  on  the  prob- 
able cause  that  led  to  the  misdeeds  of  the  men  lying  asleep 
within  a  stone's  throw,  and  pondered  on  the  great  fame  of  Wild 
Bill.  My  disjointed  reverie  was  interrupted  by  the  stolen 
horses  making  a  simultaneous  attack  on  the  rich  grass,  and  a 
moment  later  a  meadow  lark — the  prairie  nightingale — sent 
forth  a  stream  of  melody  that  warned  me  of  the  approach  of 
day.  I  knew  the  scout  wanted  to  make  some  preliminary  ar- 
rangements before  assaulting  the  enemy,  so  I  touched  him  on 
the  shoulder  and  said,  "Bill."  One  spring  landed  him  at  my 
side,  and,  with  his  eyes  flashing  in  the  darkness,  he  said,  "What 
time  is  it?  Is  everything  all  right?"  I  pointed  up  to  the  lark, 
still  filling  the  air  with  his  lovely  song,  and  then  to  the  streaks 
of  light  athwart  the  eastern  sky.  My  companion  was  familiar 
with  every  foot  of  this  country  and  decided,  therefore,  to  place 
the  enemy  between  us  and  the  river,  the  ground  in  that  direc- 
tion being  less  thickly  covered  with  timber,  rendering  it  next 
to  impossible  for  the  men  to  escape  the  unerring  aim  of  Wild 
Bill  in  case  they  should  run  when  apprised  of  his  presence. 
After  administering  a  gentle  reprimand  for  *my  failure  to  wak- 
en him  at  midnight  as  per  order,  the  scout  said,  "Follow  me." 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  125 

Reaching  the  objective  point  we  lay  down  in  the  tall  grass  to 
await  broad  daylight.  Presently  the  men  arose  and  started  a 
roaring  fire,  on  which  they  placed  juicy  steaks  from  the  quarter 
of  some  farmer's  bullock.  The  odor  of  the  broiling  meat  almost 
drove  us  mad  with  hunger.  One  of  the  men  (whistling  the 
"Arkansas  Traveler")  went  out  to  inspect  the  horses  and  find- 
ing them  all  right  returned  to  camp,  singing  the  burlesque 
song  on  "Brigham  Young."  His  parody  on  the  original  chorus 
created  a  hearty  laugh  and  evoked  the  general  term  of  praise, 
"well  done,  my  boy."  The  change  of  airs  showed  the  mood  and 
versatility  of  the  man.  This  easy  transition,  however,  from 
the  sentimental  to  the  ridiculous  is  common  with  the  criminal 
who,  when  in  doubt,  sings  something  befitting  the  state  of  his 
feelings,  but  who,  when  confidence  is  restored  and  prosperity 
apparent,  exhibits  the  lively  aspects  of  his  nature  by  singing 
something  in  harmony  therewith.  While  the  men  were  eating 
their  hard-tack  and  steak,  we  were  worming  our  way  through 
the  tall  grass  toward  them,  and  their  faces  being  toward  the 
river  enabled  us  to  approach  within  a  few  rods  of  them ; 
.here  we  waited  until  the  light  of  day  had  consumed  the  fire- 
light, when  we  arose,  and,  in  catlike  bounds,  sprang  upon  our 
prey.  Bill  shouted  "surrender."  The  men  leaped  to  their  feet, 
intending,  no  doubt,  to  resist  or  run,  but  seeing  four  large  pis- 
tols leveled  at  them  dropped  their  guns  and  meekly  submitted 
to  the  inevitable.  We  secured  the  men  and  returned  to  Junc- 
tion City,  where  they  were  properly  disposed  of  and  the  stolen 
horses  delivered  to  their  rightful  owners. 

The  reflections  of  that  lonely  night  on  the  Neosho,  and 
more  especially  the  sad  face  (as  I  then  saw  it)  of  my  sweet- 
heart, were  constantly  before  me.  I  hastened  to  settle  up  my 
business  matters  preparatory  to  an  early  start  to  old  Mis- 
souri, "therefore,"  I  thought,  "I  must  bid  Wild  Bill  good-bye 
tonight,  as  I  will  not  have  an  opportunity  of  doing  so  in  the 
morning.  When  I  entered  the  room  Bill  was  preparing  to 
spend  the  night  in  a  gambling  house.  He,  after  being  apprised 
of  my  fears  and  intentions,  looked  me  full  in  the  face  for  a  mo- 
ment, then  said,  "Come,  let  us  go  down  and  have  a  game  of 
poker  or  faro  (his  favorites),  and  that  sad  look  and  melancholy 
feeling  of  yours  will  disappear."  "No,  Bill,"  said  I,  "I  cannot 
do  that.  I  would  gladly  follow  you  through  fire,  and  even  into 
a  gambling  house  if  necessary  to  accomplish  some  worthy  end 
but  never  for  the  purpose  you  suggest."  I  then  told  him  of 
my  experience  with  faro  while  in  Helena,  Montana,  and  of  the 
vow  to  which  I  invoked,  as  a  witness,  the  spirit  of  my  dear 
mother.  He  paced  the  floor  for  a  minute,  then  turning  to  me 
with  tears  coursing  down  his  sunburned  cheeks,  said,  "My  lit- 


126  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POIK  WELLS 

tie  friend,  forgive  me  for  thus  tempting  you  to  break  a  vow 
that  should  ever  be  sacred  to  the  memory  of  your  mother.  I 
once  made  a  similar  pledge  to  my  dear  mother,  but  have  shock- 
ingly violated  it,  from  the  fact  that  the  gambling  room  and 
cards  possess  charms  that  I  cannot  resist,  and  I  find  comfort 
in  them  not  attainable  elsewhere ;  though  I  would  not  for  any- 
thing encourage  you  in  this  direction  at  least,  to  follow  in  my 
footsteps.  It  has  been  my  opinion  all  the  while  that  you  were 
a  gambler,  or  I  should  not  have  made  the  proposition  I  did." 
Instead  of  going  to  the  hall,  we  spent  the  night  together  in  his 
rooms.  Wild  Bill  feared  not  the  devil  nor  regarded  man,  yet 
the  word  "mother"  caused  his  heart  to  throb  like  a  pulsating 
pyramid,  brought  tears  to  his  eyes,  and  changed  his  prospec- 
tive night's  debauch  into  one  of  quietude  and  real  enjoyment. 
Having  had  ample  opportunity  to  observe  the  peculiarities  and 
noble  traits  of  character  of  this  famed  man,  I  am  prepared  to 
say  that  he  was  a  hero  of  heroes,  enstamped  with  valor  divine. 
a  star  of  beauty,  a  jewel  coined  synonym  of  the  true,  master  of 
the  most  perfect  marksmanship  attainable  by  finite  capacity, 
uncultured,  yet  wise  as  the  serpent,  an  Apollo  in  form,  a  Her- 
cules in  strength,  quick  to  resent  a  wrong,  yet  forgiving  and 
generous  to  a  fault,  and,  when  in  seclusion  with  a  friend,  as 
loving  as  a,  girl  and  as  playful  as  a  child. 

That  portion  of  Kansas  lying  west  of  the  line  drawn  from 
Washington  County  to  Wichita,  was  a  bleak  and  barren  coun- 
try, unfit,  it  was  thought,  for  the  home  of  man.  During  Daniel 
Webster's  ascendancy  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  a  bill 
was  presented  to  establish  a  mail  route  between  Independence. 
Missouri,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  some  three 
thousand  miles  across  plains  and  mountains,  but  the  great 
statesman  denounced  the  measure  in  toto  and  exclaimed. 
"What  do  we  want  with  this  vast,  worthless  area?  This  region 
of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts  of  shifting  sands,  and 
whirl-winds  of  dusts,  of  cactus  and  prairie-dogs?"  Mr.  Web- 
ster thought  the  country  was  then,  and  always  would  be 
worthless,  but  today  the  entire  proposed  mail  route  is  lined 
with  beautiful  Christian  homes  and  thriving  towns  and  cities 
which  add  great  commercial  importance  to  the  United  States. 
And  Wild  Bill  and  Buffalo  Bill  (especially  the  former)  did 
more  than  any  other  two  men  to  bring  about  this  happy  result. 
They  made  it  possible  for  General  Miles,  Crook  and  Custer  to 
act  intelligently  with  regard  to  the  movements  of  bands  of 
hostile  Indians.  They  carried  messages  from  one  to  the  other 
of  those  commanders  when  other  scouts  could  not  be  induced 
to  venture  across  the  hostile  country.  Therefore,  Kansas  will 
not  have  fittingly  acknowledged  its  appreciation  of  Wild  Bill's 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  127 

services,  nor  have  done  adequate  justice  to  his  memory  until  it  has 
erected  at  the  state  capitol  at  Topeka,  a  life  size  equestrian  statue 
of  America's  greatest  scout,  not  excepting  Kit  Carson  or  "Cali- 
fornia Joe." 


CHAPTER    X. 

Having  affectionately  pressed  the  hand  of  Wild  Bill  for 
the  last  time,  I  mounted  Frank  and  set  out  for  Missouri  and 
two  days  later  reached  the  home  of  sister  Sarah,  who*  informed 
me  that  sister  Ruth  was  dead  and  buried,  and  that  the  Fry  boys 
were  still  living  with  father.  I  first  visited  Nora,  and  having  a 
lover's  quarrel  with  her,  and  deciding  to  leave  the  country 
called  on  father  to  bid  him  good-bye.  The  noon  meal  being  over 
we  .seated  ourselves  on  the  front  porch  for  a  talk.  He,  gently 
laying  his  hand  on  my  head,  expressed  the  hope  that  I  would 
not  again  leave  him;  and,  after  speaking  of  his  age  and  the 
probability  of  his  not  living  many  years,  again  urged  me  to 
take  charge  of  the.  saloon  business.  His  confidential  friend. 
Alfred  Fenton,  previously  alluded  to,  also  urged  me  to  remain 
at  home  and  take  care  of  him.  "Polk,"  said  Mr.  Fenton,  "you 
must  stay  at  home  and  rid  your  father  of  the  imposition  put 
upon  him  by  your  step-brothers,  who  have  feasted  on  the  fat 
of  the  land  at  his  expense  ever  since  their  return  from  the 
mountains  two  years  ago."  My  step-brothers  drank  the  best 
liquor,  smoked  the  finest  cigars,  and,  like  Mark  Twain's  loafer 
"never  missed  a  meal  or  paid  a  cent."  They  ate  at  the  first 
table,  thereby  compelling  my  poor  old  father  to  take  his  meals 
cold.  It  was  this  state  of  affairs  that  induced  me  to  take  charge 
of  the  saloon,  which  was  full  of  men  when  father  and  I  entered 
Dick  Fry  was  playing  billiards  and  Joe  was  engaged  in  a  four- 
handed  game  of  seven-up.  It  was  customary  when  they  lost  to 
set  out  the  drinks  themselves,  but  otherwise  made  father  wait 
on  them  as  if  they  were  kings.  I  took  my  place  behind  the  bar 
and  began  arranging  things  to  my  notion.  The  seven-up  game 
ended  and  Joe  had  lost.  He  started  to  come  behind  the  coun- 
ter but  I  stopped  him  and  said,  "I  shall  be  pleased  to  serve  you, 
sir."  This,  as  I  anticipated,  made  him  angry,  and  without  a 
reply  he  turned  and  left  the  room.  Dick  lost  his  game,  too,  and 
was  treated  similar  to  his  brother  whom  he  followed  out  of 
doors — the  result  was  a  terrible  fight  between  us,  but  I  main- 
tained my  position  and  succeeded  in  banishing  the  privileged 
class  from  my  father's  house.  When,  on  the  evening  of  the 
fight,  I  went  to  supper  mother  ordered  me  to  leave  the  place, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  129 

and  declared  that  if  her  boys  could  not  stay  at  home  I  should 
not.  I  caught  her  in  my  arms,  kissing-  her  and  vowed  that  her 
"God  should  be  my  God,"  and  that,  "I  would  be  to  her  a  son 
indeed."  I  rose  early  every  morning,  built  a  fire  in  the  cook 
stove  and  put  the  tea-kettle  on.  I  did  all  the  milking,  some- 
times the  churning,  and  occasionally  washed  the  dishes  for  her. 
For  a  while  she  treated  me  with  alternate  fits  of  rage  and  kind- 
ness, but  after  her  boys  were  beyond  recall,  and  seeing  that 
my  behavior  toward  her  was  uniformly  kind  and  courteous; 
she  responded  in  a  true  motherly  spirit.  I  often  gave  her  money 
and  did  little  acts  of  kindness  she  was  not  accustomed  to  re- 
ceive from  her  sons  or  my  father.  In  turn  for  these  favors, 
she  became  as  solicitous  about  the  care  of  my  clothing  as  if  I 
really  were  her  own  son.  When  I  dressed  myself  for  a  ball  or 
other  special  occasion  she  would  not  suffer  me  to  depart  until 
she  saw,  with  her  own  eyes,  that  everything  about  me  was  in 
its  proper  condition.  She  always  tied  my  neck-tie,  and  I  imag- 
ined she  could  get  up  the  "bow"  in  the  neatest  manner  pos- 
sible. She  tenaciously  clung  to  her  orthodox  faith,  therefore  I 
often,  to  oblige  her,  sacrificed  engagements  of  my  own  in  or- 
der to  escort  her  to  church  on  Sunday,  and  to  the  regular  night 
meetings.  The  family,  since  the  source  of  evil  had  departed 
assumed  a  good-natured  aspect.  There  were  no  more  cross 
looks  or  crusty  words  passed  between  father  and  mother.  All 
was  sunhsine,  and  the  wheels  of  domestic  affairs  moved  har- 
moniously together. 

My  father's  extreme  old  age  had  rendered  him  a  mere 
play-thing  in  the  hands  of  the  rough  element,  therefore  the 
''exchange"  had  become  a  noisy  and  unwholesome  place  on  ac- 
count of  the  too  frequent  brawls  within  its  walls.  Conse- 
quently the  better  class  of  men  withdrew  their  patronage  and' 
my  initiatory  degree  as  bar-tender  was  calculated  to  confirm 
the  withdrawal ;  however,  that  day's  triumph  proved  the  con- 
trary, for  they  established  me  as  the  hero  of  every  fire-side  in 
Rushville.  My  demand  for  peace  became  the  law,  from  which 
no  one  presumed  to  appeal.  I  soon  reduced  the  hitherto  noisy 
crowds  to  order  and  respectability,  and  set  up  a  code  of  rules 
which  I  maintained  to  the  very  letter.  It  soon  became  gen- 
erally known  that  decent  men  could  get  their  wants  supplied 
at  the  "Exchange"  without  running  the  risk  of  being  insulted 
or  knocked  down  by  some  ruffian,  and  that  I  kept  the  best  or- 
der, the  neatest  house,  a  better  quality  of  liquors  and  other  re- 
freshments than  any  of  my  contemporaries — and  even  better 
than  my  father  had  furnished.  The  latter  was  certainly  imag- 
inary, for  father  furnished  all  the  supplies,  and  bought  for  me 
the  same  grade  of  goods  (always  the  best)  he  had  used.  How- 


130  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ever,  the  report  served  to  increase  my  popularity  as  a  saloon- 
ist;  therefore,  all  my  father's  old  time  friends — including  the 
Pitts',  Fentons,  Severs',  "Cash"  boys,  Wells',  Wilson  and  the 
numerous  Watson  family,  all  men.  of  wealth  and  respectability 
— returned  their  patronage  to  the  "Exchange."  I  furnished 
various  ministers  of  the  gospel  with  wine  for  sacramental  pur- 
poses, which  is  not  strange  since  Missourians  were  a  whisky- 
drinking  people.  I  record  these  facts  with  some  degree  of 
pride,  although  the  liquor  traffic  was  then,  has  ever  been,  and 
always  will  be,  odious  to  my  sense  of  right,  and  my  father's 
extreme  necessity  for  a  comforter  and  protector  is  the  only 
ground  upon  which  I  can  base  an  excuse  for  ever  engaging  in 
the  accursed  business  at  all. 

Having  put  the  " Exchange"  in  good  order,  I  frequently 
left  father  in  charge  and  rode  out  in  the  country  to  visit  and 
enjoy  myself  with  old  friends.  About  the  first  of  December 
I  accepted  an  invitation  to  attend  the  birthday  party  of  my 
good  friend,  Christopher  Callahan.  Arriving  at  the  yard  gate 
I  delivered  Frank  to  the  hostler  and  proceeded  to  the  house, 
where  a  most  lovely  sight  met  my  gaze.  At  one  end  of  the 
large  room  was  erected  a  platform  for  the  musicians,  on  which 
stood  Miss  Mattie  and  (my)  Nora  Wilson,  singing  the  rebel 
air,  "Jeff  Davis'  Cousin."  They  were  handsomely  dressed  in 
white,  were  beautiful  beyond  description,  and  looked  more  like 
theatrical  stars  than  demure  country  girls.  Having  finished 
the  song  they  stepped  from  the  stage  and  resumed  their  seats. 
My  friend,  Christopher,  now  came  forward,  and,  after  a  most 
cordial  greeting,  introduced  me  to  Miss  Mattie  Wilson,  who 
was  an  own  cousin  to  Nora,  and  styled  the  "Lake  Township 
Beauty."  Father  had  said  many  times  that  I  ought  to  get  mar- 
ried and  settle  down,  and  I  thought  so  too,  but  in  all  my  wan- 
derings I  failed  to  meet  a  lady  who  could  compete  with  Nora 
for  my  affections  until  meeting  her  cousin,  Mattie,  on  this  oc- 
casion. The  two  girls  were  about  the  same  age  (fifteen  years), 
equal  in  wealth,  health,  mental  capacity,  and  equally  beauti- 
ful in  face  and  symmetrical  development. 

I  was,  soon  after  the  party,  engaged  to  Mattie,  but  father 
objected  on  account  of  her  being  a  "plebian."  He  seemed  to 
forget  that  he  had  married  to  suit  himself,  that  his  second  as 
well  as  his  third  wife  (the  latter  my  mother)  were  "plebians." 
His  fourth  wife  (my  step-mother)  lay  claim  to  blood  royalty, 
and  some  of  her  children  were  not  worth  the  powder  and  lead 
it  would  take  to  kill  them.  I  was  convinced  then,  and  doubly 
so  now,  that  the  blood  has  nothing  to  do  with  forming  a  good, 
or  bad,  character.  I  believe  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  genera- 
tions any  individual  family — state  or  nation  of  families — can 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  131 

be  graded  up  to  a  high  point  of  excellence,  or  down  to  the  low- 
est depths  of  degredation.  I  had  some  such  thoughts  as  these 
when  father  spoke  of  his  superiority,  therefore,  his  (to  me)  un- 
reasonable opposition  served  to  increase,  rather  than  diminish 
my  determination  to  fulfill  my  engagement;  and  the  young 
lady  was  as  zealous  in  the  matter  as  myself,  so  the  old  folks, 
seeing  that  we  were  determined  to  consummate  our  desires, 
withdrew  their  objections  and  advised  an  early  date  for  the 
nuptials. 

A  few  days  previous  to  the  date  (January  15th,  1869),  set 
for  our  wedding  I  went  to  Atchison  and,  after  purchasing  a 
regulation  suit,  in  company  with  a  friend  entered  a  wholesale 
liquor  establishment  of  Messrs.  Quigg  and  Allen,  who  politely 
insisted  on  selling  me  a  bill  of  goods  and  I  finally  bought  as  a 
sample  ten  gallons  of  fine  peach  brandy.  I  had  the  keg  sent 
over  to  the  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph  &  Council  Bluffs  Railroad 
Depot  at  Winthrop,  Missouri;  here  I  put  it  in  the  baggage  car 
and  pre-paid  the  charges.  Arriving  at  Rushville  I  stepped  to 
the  car  door  to  receive  the  keg  when  the  baggage  man,  Mr. 
Massy,  demanded  another  fee  which  I  refused  to  pay ;  where- 
upon he  and  the  conductor,  Mr.  Hemingway,  jerked  it  from  me 
and  rolled  it  to  the  back  side  of  the  car.  I  knew  nothing  about 
railroad  matters,  but  felt  confident  they  had  no  right  to  collect 
charges  twice  on  the  same  article,  and  being  in  the  habit  of 
protecting  my  rights  by  force  of  muscle  or  otherwise  when 
occasion  required  it,  I  whipped  out  a  "Colt's  44"  and  sprang 
into  the  car.  The  four  men — brakeman,  baggageman,  conduc- 
tor and  express  messenger — seeing  the  big  pistol  fled  from  the 
car,  leaving  me  master  of  the  situation.  The  messenger  left  his 
safe  open  and  its  contents  exposed  to  view,  which  I  could 
have  taken  had  I  so  desired,  but  touched  nothing  except  my 
own  property,  with  which  I  walked  out  of  the  car.  Next  day  I 
was  arrested  on  a  charge  of  highway  robbery,  taken  to  St.  Jos- 
eph and  delivered  to  Sheriff  Fish,  who  held  a  grudge  against 
me,-  and  to  gratify  his  spleen  put  me  into  a  cell  already  occu- 
pied by  two  of  the  filthiest  ruffians  imaginable.  He  also  gave 
the  reporters  misleading  information  concerning  the  charge 
preferred  against  me,  and  would  not  (at  least  did  not)  deliver 
my  message  to  Hon.  Henry  Tutt,  who,  for  many  years,  was  my 
father's  legal  adviser  and  substantial  friend. 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  at  night  when  the  iron  door  of  a 
felon's  cell  first  closed  upon  me.  The  prisoners  set  up  a  fear- 
ful howl,  which  reverberated  from  side  to  side  of  the  jail,  caus- 
ing my  hair  to  almost  stand  on  end — all  the  slang  names  be- 
longing to  criminal  phraseology  were  quickly  interchanged  be- 
tween the  men.  When  the  Sheriff  retired  the  boys  became 


132 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

suddenly  quiet.  This  was  to  give  my  cell-mates  an  opportuni- 
ty to  interrogate  me  as  to  my  social  and  financial  standing.  For 
a  moment  I  eyed — in  wounded  pride  and  painful  apprehensions 
— my  ill-favored  associates,  then,  in  tears,  poured  out  the  agony 
of  my  soul.  One  of  the  men  was  a  loquacious  fellow,  and  had 
no  doubt  seen  better  days,  for  he  spoke  with  the  ease  and  elo- 
quence of  a  philosopher.  His  wily  tongue  and  affected  sym- 
pathy for  my  misfortune,  and  the  double  assurance  that  I 
would  come  out  all  right  quickly  dried  my  tears  and  put  me 
into  a  talkative  mood,  just  what  he  was  laboring  for.  I  can 
fully  realize,  as  I  reflect  on  the  scene,  the  story  of  the  spider 
and  the  fly.  I  yielded  wholly,  and  answered,  unreservedly, 
every  question  put  to  me ;  and  .from  time  to  time,  as  he  gloried 
in  his  ability  to  draw  me  out,  a  smile  of  self-complacency 
spread  over  his  cadaverous  countenance.  The  boys  being  impa- 
tient, my  story  was  frequently  interrupted  by  the  query,  "who 
is  he,"  "what  is  he,"  "is  he  a  country  lad?"  to  all  of  which  the 
only  answer  vouchsafed  by  my  interrogator  was  simply  "No." 
When  I  had  finished  the  oily-tongued  individual  gave  the  signal 
for  the  boys  to  listen — profound  stillness  reigned — my  loqua- 
cious friend  called  out,  in  stentorian  tones,  "Rushville  train 
robber."  "Lots  of  tobacco  tomorrow,"  suggested  one  fellow. 
Then  tremendous  shouts  went  up,  which  called  forth  an  in- 
junction from  the  Sheriff  to  keep  quiet.  Roused  to  the  point 
of  violent  resentment  by  the  accusation  of  "robber,"  I  sprang 
to  my  feet,  and  when  the  din  subsided,  so  I  could  be  under- 
stood, said,  "You  are  a  liar,  Sir,  I  am  not  a  robber."  The  fel- 
low laughed  in  my  face  and  meekly  replied,  "Oh,  I  know  you 
are  innocent,  but  that  is  what  the  morning  paper  called  you." 
Shortly  after  this  all,  save  myself,  were  wrapped  in  profound 
slumber.  I  stood  at  the  door  of  the  cell,  with  my  nose  through 
the  grating  a  greater  portion  of  the  night,  for  I  could  not,  at 
first,  endure  the  stench  arising  from  the  other  occupants  of  the 
cell. 

The  prisoners  had  organized  among  themselves  a  "judicial 
bench"  through  which  they  supplied  themselves  with  tobacco 
from  the  fines  imposed  on  late  arrivals.  Next  morning  I  was 
arrested  and  taken  into  the  presence  of  the  unjust  judge,  whose 
office  was  at  one  end  of  the  jail  corridor.  The  jury  was  al- 
ready empaneled  anxious  to  convict  me,  for  they  were  all  without 
tobacco.  Half  a  dozen  eminent  lawyers  proposed  to  defend  me 
for  the  small  fee  of  twenty-five  cents.  I  gave  the  case  to  a 
bright  young  fellow,  who  demanded  a  private  interview  with 
his  client,  which  the  imposing  judge  reluctantly  granted.  The 
young  attorney,  after  acquainting  me  with  the  proceedings  of 
jail  courts,  advised  me  to  plead  guilty.  We  returned  to  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  133 

court  room  and  the  prosecuting  attorney  read  the  charge, 
horse-stealing.  The  judge,  with  the  austere  solemnity  of  a 
Chief  Justice  Fuller,  asked,  "Are  you  guilty  or  not  guilty,  Mr. 
Wells?"  My  counsel,  calm  and  dignified,  stepped  forward 
saying,  "We  plead  guilty,  your  honor,"  and  in  a  neat,  able 
speech  recommended  me  to  the  mercy  of  the  court.  It  smote 
my  conscience-  heavily  to  plead  guilty  to  a  dishonorable  act 
even  in  a  mock  trial,  and  I  was  minded  to  retract,  but  the  Devil 
whispered,  "it  is  all  in  fun,  you  must,  now,  go  ahead  with  the 
farce,"  so  I  wrote  an  order  to  Sheriff  Fish  for  two  dollars,  the 
amount  of  my  fine  and  costs,  and  handed  it  to  the  trial  judge 
who,  after  giving  me  a  moral  lecture,  eloquently  logical  and 
sound  in  principle,  said,  "You  are  now  dismissed  and  one  of 
the  boys,  Mr.  Wells."  The  coveted  tobacco  arrived  and  was 
impartially  divided  among  the  men,  whereupon  gambling  com- 
menced, and,  before  night,  my  attorney  and  the  judge  had  most 
of  the  comfort-giving  weed,  showing  conclusively  that  they 
had  mastered  Hoyt  if  not  Blackstone. 

The  Sheriff  passed  in  a  morning  paper  containing  a  two 
column  account  of  the  "train  robbery  at  Rushville."  My  lit- 
erary cell-mate  read  it  aloud  to  the  boys,  who  cheered  hearti- 
ly. At  this  time  train-robbing  was  in  its  infancy — the  James 
boys,  only,  having  preceded  me  in  that  nefarious  business — 
therefore  the  reporter  seized  this  opportunity  to  air  his  pro- 
fessional pen,  and  I  am  free  to  confess  that  his  article  on  the 
subject  was  a  master  composition.  He  recounted  with  careful 
and  astonishing  exactness,  the  duels  of  my  boyhood  ;  traced  me 
to  and  fro  on  the  plains ;  related  my  latest  difficulties  in  Rush- 
ville and  vicinity ;  and  then  told  how  I  had,  with  revolver  in 
hand,  taken  possession  of  the  train,  plundered  its  safe  and 
seriously  wounded  "Mr.  Hemingway,  our  efficient  and  oblig- 
ing conductor."  The  fact  is  that  I  touched  nothing  but  what 
belonged  to  me,  and  the  conductor,  in  some  way,  hurt  himself 
getting  out  of  the  car — certainly  not  my  fault.  I  protested 
against  the  charge  of  dishonesty,  and  stoutly  insisted  that  if  a 
wrong  was  committed  the  train  men  were  the  perpetrators. 

When  I  arrived  at  home,  two  hours  after  being  released 
from  jail,  father  handed  me  a  letter  from  my  betrothed,  and  he 
evidently  hoped  it  contained  a  dismissal.  I  read  the  letter, 
then  handed  it  to  him,  and  after  devouring  its  contents  he  re- 
turned it  with  the  remark,  "her  pluck  and  devotion  is  not  char- 
acteristic of  plebians."  "Plebian  or  no  plebian,  I  shall  see  her 
before  I  sleep,  though  she  were  a  thousand  miles  away  instead 
of  twenty."  Her  letter  informed  me  that  she  had  read  all  the 
news,  declared  her  belief  in  my  innocence,  and  vowed  that  she 
loved  me  more  dearly  now  than  ever  before.  It  was  dark 


134  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

when — some  two  miles  west  of  Troy,  Kansas — I  rode  up  to  an 
imposing  farm-house  and  "helloed."  The  front  door  opened 
an  an  elderly  lady  stepped  into  the  aperture.  "Docs  Mr.  Mc- 
Allister live  here?"  I  inquired.  Before  the  lady  could  answer 
a  beautiful  girl,  who  recognized  my  voice,  shot  forth  and  ex- 
claimed, "Oh!  it's  Polk,  it's  Polk."  She  was  so  pure  that,  up 
to  this  time,  I  had  not  dared  to  touch  her,  but  now  she  volun- 
tarily threw  herself  on  my  breast  and  our  lips  met  in  the  first 
kiss — a  kiss  of  innocence  and  reciprocal  love. 

The  McAlisters,  distantly  related  to  Mattie,  and  to  whom 
she  was  sent  in  the  hope  of  alienating  her  affections,  received 
me  cordially  and  treated  mie  most  kindly.  Mrs.  McAlister 
was  a  vivacious  little  lady,  skilled  in  love's  diplomacy,  and 
her  whole  nature  atuned  to  the  romantic  side  of  life ;  therefore 
she  urged  us  to  get  married.  "It  would  be  a  splendid  joke  on 
your  father,  Mattie,"  she  said.  My  father  foresaw  that  this 
might  occur,  and  had  warned  me  against  yielding  to  the  tempta- 
tion. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  I  kissed  my  affianced 
and  returned  home,  only  to  find  myself  involved  in  another 
scandal.  It  was  rumored  that  I  had  fled  the  country.  My 
warmest  friends  (who  were  afraid  of  railroad  influence,  ad- 
vised me  to  leave,  and  went  so  far  as  to  offer  to  help  raise  one 
thousand  dollars,  which  they  said  would  satisfy  and  secure 
my  bondsmen,  Judges  Tutt  and  Tool,  of  St.  Joseph,  against 
any  loss.  The  penitentiary  was  a  perfect  hell  in  my  imagina- 
tion, and  I  was  half  inclined  to  act  upon  the  importunities  of 
my  friends  and  depart  while  times  were  favorable.  Father, 
however,  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  this  proposition,  and  said  that 
in  adopting  such  a  course  I  would  not  only  deceive,  and  lose 
the  respect  of  my  bondsmen,  but  establish  my  guilt  as  well, 
besides  placing  him  in  a  false  position — I  had  a  holy  horror  for 
anything  dishonorable,  so  the  thought  of  fleeing,  even  to  es- 
cape state's  prison,  was  dismissed. 

Father  had  employed  Silas  B.  Woodson  (recently  Gov- 
ernor of  Missouri)  and  Judge  Vinton  Pike  of  St.  Joseph  to 
assist  Mr.  Tutt  in  my  defense.  They  made  able  arguments  in 
mjy  behalf,  but  to  no  purpose,  as  court  and  jury  were  extreme- 
ly "radical,"  some  of  the  latter  having  fought  my  father  at 
the  battles  of  "Wilson's  Creek"  and  "Pea  Ridge,"  consequently 
I  was  convicted  before  the  evidence  was  rendered.  I  was  ar- 
rested on  the  charge  of  highway  robbery,  but  tried  for  gen- 
eral larceny,  and  the  jury  found  me  guilty  of  petty  larceny, 
and  assessed  my  fine  at  one  dollar  and  costs — strange  render- 
ing of  the  law  this.  My  attorneys  were  indignant  at  the  ver- 
dict and  wanted  to  carry  the  case  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  I 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  135 

persuaded  father  to  drop  the  matter,  since  I  was  acknowledged 
innocent  in  the  minds  of  the  people ;  the  fine  and  costs  were 
paid  and  I  was  discharged — if  placed  in  a  similar  position 
again  I  would  not  rest  under  such  an  unjust,  unholy  decision. 

My  betrothed  had  returned  home  while  I  was  at  court.  I 
hastened  to  acquaint  her  with  the  fact  that  I  was  again  a  free 
man,  and  on  Thursday  evening,  March  25th,  1869,  we  were 
married  at  the  home  of  her  parents.  Having  received  the  con- 
gratulations of  our  friends,  and  partaken  of  a  sumptuous  re- 
past, the  inevitable  old  slippers,  rice  balls  and  good-natured 
jokes  were  thrust  at  us  until  bed  time,  when  we  were  carried 
bodily  into  the  bridal  chamber  and  put  to  bed.  Mattie's  par- 
ents, after  seeing  the  young  people  start  for  home,  came  into 
our  room.  Mrs.  Wilson  leaned  over  and  kissed  her  daughter 
then  pressed  her  lips  to  my  cheek,  with  a  "God  bless  you  both." 
Mr.  Wilson  came  forward,  and  taking  each  of  us  by  the  right 
hand,  said,  "My  dear  children,  I  wish  you  happiness  and  pros- 
perity in  unlimited  measure."  Then  placing  Mattie's  hand  in 
mine,  he  turned  to  his  wife,  took  her  by  the  arm,  picked  up 
the  lamp,  and  after  a  cheery  "Good-night,"  retired.  Next  day 
I  took  my  wife  to  Rushville,  our  future  home.  Mattie  ex- 
celled herself  in  preparing  a  good  dinner,  and  had  invited  some 
young  folks  to  receive  us.  Father  was  greatly  pleased,  kissed 
and  addressed  the  bride  as  "My  dear  Mattie."  Mother  was 
very  gracious  to  her  for  a  while ;  then  came  dark  frowns; 
divers  and  unjust  complainings.  I  complained  of  nothing  my- 
self, but  did  a  great  deal  worse.  I  avoided  the  presence  and 
corrtpany  of  my  wife  in  every  way,  and  under  every  pretext  I 
possibly  could.  I  frequently  remained  all  night  in  the  saloon 
with  customers  when  there  was  little  or  no  profit  in  so  doing 
I  abandoned  those  little  offices  about  the  house  that  had  so  pleased 
and  delighted  mother,  and  withheld  the  usual  allowance  of 
pin-money.  The  latter  aroused  her  displeasure  to  the  point  of 
accusing  poor  Mattie  of  being  the  cause  of  my  stinginess  to- 
ward her.  Mattie's  face,  as  the  weeks  and  months  rolled  by 
grew  wan  and  pinched,  and  her  eyes  lost  the  heavenly  bright- 
ness that  I  was  once  so  fond  of.  She  was  treated  worse  than 
a  slave,  yet  she,  "like  a  sheep  before  her  shearers,  opened  not 
her  mouth."  Thus  matters  progressed  until  the  middle  of 
July,  when  one  day  a  very  sudden  change  of  feeling  came  over 
me.  After  dinner  I  went  to  the  barn  to  care  for  the  stock,  and 
instead  of  going  back  to  the  saloon  by  way  of  the  street,  as  I 
uniformly  did,  returned  through  the  garden  to  the  house.  As 
I  reached  the  kitchen  door  angry  words  greeted  my  ears,  and  I 
stopped  to  hear  what  was  being  said.  Mother  was  berating 
my  wife  for  carelessness  and  "countrified  manners."  "And 


136  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

you  are  the  cause,"  she  said,  "of  Polk  treating  me  so  meanly, 
you  know  you  are."    "Oh !  Mrs.  Wells,  I  never  thought  of  try- 
ing to  influence  Folk's  actions  toward  you,"  meekly  replied  the 
sorrowing  Mattie,  as  she  hastened  to  ascend  the  stairway.     This 
sort  of  thing  had  become  an  almost  daily  occurrence,  yet  Mat- 
tie  had  not  even  hinted  to  me  that  mother  was  unkind  to  her. 
Nor  had  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  was  lacking  in  attention,  or 
in  those  little  civilities  and  expressions  of  love  that   are  so 
dear  to  feminine  nature.     I  performed  the  duties  devolving 
upon  me  in  an  unconcerned  and  mechanical  sort  of  manner, 
yet  regarded  myself  as  being  a  model  husband.    But  this  affair 
aroused  the  slumbering  forces  of  my  better  self,  and  my  first 
impulse    was    to   rush    into    the    room    and    curse    mother    for 
her  cruelty.     "That  would  be  unmanly,"  I  thought,  besides 
the  plaintive  and  humble  reply  of  my  wife  touched  the  sym- 
pathetic chords  of  my  heart  and  filled  me  with  pity  for  her.    I 
hurried  upstairs  and  found  her  sitting  on  the  bed  with  face 
buried  in  her  hands,  rocking  herself  back  and  forward  as  if 
crushed  by  grief.    Stepping  in  front  of  her  I  said,  in  tones  full 
of  sympathy  and  love,  "My  darling,  what  is  the  matter?    Has 
mother  been  treating  you  meanly?"     I  had  never  spoken  to 
her  harshly,  or  in  a  manner  implying  anger,  yet  this  was  the 
first  expression  of  real  endearment  that  had  escaped  my  lips 
since  our  marriage.     She  sprang  to  her  feet,  and,  with  a  look 
of  surprise  and  hope,  gazed  steadily  for  a  moment  in  my  eyes, 
and  being  assured   that  she  was   not  mistaken   in  what  she 
heard,  flung  herself  upon  my  bosom,  and  poured  out  in  tears 
the  agony  of  her  soul.     Thus  far  I  had  not  accompanied  her 
anywhere,  neither  had  I  purchased  so  much  as  a  pocket  hand- 
kerchief for  her.    I  was  simply  indifferent  to  outward  circum- 
stances,  and  apparently   devoid   of  those   higher   and   nobler 
emotions  involving  the  happiness  of  the   marriage   relation. 
But  now,  while  holding  her  to  my  breast,  a  new  spirit  was 
born  within  me,  and  seeing  the  errors  of  the  past,  I  vowed  that 
I  would  be  to  her  all  that  I  had  promised.     The  tears  were 
kissed  away,  and  the  hitherto  sad  face  now  took  an  angelic 
smile.     It  was  a  lovely  day,  so  I  proposed  a,  walk.     We  de- 
scended   the    stairs,    each    with    arm    encircling    the   other — a 
departure  that  mother  was  not  prepared  for,  hence  she  stared 
at  us  in  utter  astonishment — passed  out  of  the  front  door  and 
up  the  street.    Reaching  the  point  of  a  high  bluff,  overlooking 
the  town  of  Rushville,  in  the  great  Missouri  bottoms,  we  seat- 
ed ourselves  on  the  luxuriant  blue  grass,  in  the  shade  of  a 
large  sugar  tree,  for  a  talk  and  to  feast  our  eyes  on  the  grand 
panorama.    Atchison  and  the  Kansas  bluffs  were  plainly  seen. 
The  river  right  and  left  was  visible  for  miles,  and  opposite  us 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  •  137 

it  seemed  a  mile  wide,  but  tapered  in  both  directions  to  a 
point,  resembling  a  great  silver  serpent  as  it  glided  on  through 
the  majestic  woods  that  lined  its  banks.  When  my  father 
settled  at  Rushville  these  bottoms  were  covered  with  a  solid 
mass  of  heavy  timber  and  a  dense  growth  of  bullrushes — the 
latter  as  high  as  a  man's  head  when  on  horseback;  but  today 
beautiful  and  happy  homes  are  interspersed  in  the  great  for- 
est— the  strips  of  timber  dividing  the  farms  resemble  over- 
grown hedge  rows.  And  the  large  fields  of  golden  grain  were 
beautiful  to  behold.  I  had  looked  upon  this  scene  many  times 
before,  but  did  not  discover  its  charms  until  now,  and  invol- 
untarily exclaimed,  "I  would  like  to  be  a  farmer,  but  (regret- 
fully adding)  I  haven't  the  money  to  buy  a  farm  and  the  nec- 
essary stock  and  tools  with  which  to  manage  it."  Mattie,  full 
of  enthusiasm,  said,  "Oh !  you  could  rent  one  for  a  few  years — 
perhaps  papa  could  tell  you  of  one  for  rent.  I  could  help  you 
ever  so  much,  and  we  would  soon  be  able  to  buy  a  place  of  our 
own ;  in  the  country  I  could  have  my  chickens,  ducks  and  beau- 
tiful flowers,  and — and — we  would  be  so  happy  alone."  Then 
taking  my  face  between  her  hands,  she  kissed  my  lips.  This 
settled  the  question,  and  I  determined  to  become  a  farmer  as 
soon  as  possible. 

Father  tried  to  dissuade  me  from  making  the  venture,  but 
finding  his  efforts  futile,  gracefully  acquiesced  in  my  wishes, 
and  said,  "If  you  are  bent  on  farming,  I  will  do  what  I  can  t6 
assist  you  in  making  a  start."  Mr.  Wilson  thought  he  could 
get  me  a  small  farm  from  his  neighbor,  Mr.  Isaac  Peck.  "I 
will  endorse  any  agreement  you  make  with  Mr.  Peck,"  said 
my  father.  The  farm  was  secured,  and  possession  promised 
the  first  of  August.  On  that  day  Mr.  Wilson  and  his  wife 
came  after  us,  and  after  receiving  father's  blessing,  we  set  out 
for  our  country  home.  Mattie  was  deeply  affected  on  leaving 
father,  for  she  had  learned  to  love  him  as.  her  own  parent.  It 
was  he  who,  unconscious  of  the  cause  of  her  sorrow,  had 
through  kindness  and  words  of  sympathy  sustained  her  in  the 
dark  hours  of  mother's  persecution  and  my  cruel  indifference. 
On  reaching  Mr.  Wilson's  house  I  proposed,  after  unloading 
our  little  possessions,  that  we  go  on  to  St.  Joseph  and  buy  our 
furniture  and  other  necessities.  Mattie's  parents  had  fore- 
stalled this  necessity  and  held  in  store  a  great  surprise  for  us ; 
they  insisted  on  our  seeing  the  farm  first,  so  that  we  might 
better  understand  what  was  really  needed.  We  all  got  into 
the  wagon  again  and  drove  up  to  the  big  gate,  leading  through 
the  horse  lot  to  a  neat  little  one-story,  two-roomed  log  cabin. 
In  the  lot  was  an  excellent  young  horse — a  good  mate  for  my 
Frank — two  fine  cows  with  young  calves,  and  two  Chester 


138'  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

White  sows  with  a  dozen  shoats  following  them.  In  one  cor- 
ner of  the  lot  was  a  rail  pen  full  of  corn,  under  a  shed  built 
against  the  pen  was  a  wagon,  a  set  of  harness  and  some  plows, 
all  brand  new.  The  smokehouse  contained  a  liberal  supply  of  pro- 
visions, and  from  the  roof  of  the  house  protruded  a  new  stove- 
pipe, out  of  which  a  column  of  smoke  was  circling  heaven- 
ward. The  rooms  were  fitted  up  with  all  that  was  necessary 
for  our  health  and  happiness.  Before  reaching  the  house,  I 
remarked  that  "from  appearances  the  folks  have  not  moved,  as 
per  agreement."  "This  is  very  strange,"  said  Mr.  Wilson, 
nudging  his  wife  not  to  laugh  and  pinching  himself  for  the 
same  reason.  My  wife's  two  little  brothers,  as  we  entered  the 
house,  sat  at  the  window  reading,  and  the  teakettle  on  the  new 
stove  was,  singing  its  happy  song  of  welcome  to  the  new  pro- 
prietors. It  is  needless  to  say  that  Mattie  and  I  cried  for  very 
joy  when  Mr.  Wilson  handed  me  a  bill  of  sale  signed  by  him- 
self and  wife  to  all  this  property.  After  dinner  the  old  folks  re- 
turned to  their  own  home,  leaving  us  to  work  out  our  own 
prosperity  through  love  and  perseverence. 

Now  that  the  springs  of  love  were  loosened,  the  constant 
flow,  of  affection,  deep  and  ardent,  went  out  to  my  auburn- 
haired  wife.  To  make  her  happy  was  the  sole  object  of  my 
life,  and  to  gratify  her  wishes  my  chief  desire;  while  she,  in 
turn,  sought  in  every  way  possible  to  make  me  as  happy  as 
herself.  Mr.  Peck,  after  getting  my  fall  wheat  in,  gave  me  a 
lease  on  ten  acres  of  land  for  five  years,  on  which  I  was,  to 
have  all  I  could  raise  during  that  time  for  clearing  the  ground. 
The  heavy  timber  had  been  cut  down  for  saw  logs,  which  were 
removed  to  the  river,  leaving  the  land  covered  with  an  almost 
impenetrable  mass  of  debris.  Mattie  and  I  worked  like  beavers 
in  this  clearing,  and  being  encouraged  by  each  other's  pres- 
ence and  smiles,  we  failed  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the  word 
tired.  Day  after  day,  side  by  side,  we  wrestled  with  the  brush, 
grape  vines  and  tree  tops;  with  fire  and  ax,  love  and  persever- 
ence, we  succeeded  in  getting  most  of  the  land  ready  for 
spring  plowing.  Mattie  then  turned  her  attention  to  other 
matters,  while  I  proceeded  with  my  labors.  All  day  long  I 
could  hear  her  happy  song,  as  she  flitted  from  place  to  place 
attending  to  her  garden  or  poultry.  When  plowing  at  the  back 
of  the  field  and  wanting  water,  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  wave 
my  handkerchief.  She  seemed  to  be  always  on  the  watch  for 
the  signal,  and  would  immediately  start  toward  me  with  a 
pitcher  of  cold  sweet  milk  in  one  hand  and  a  slice  of  bread  and 
butter  in  the  other.  With  a  little  straw  hat  set  jauntily  on  her 
well  shaped  head,  her  large  blue  eyes  animated  with  love's  fire, 
and  a  neat  white  apron  over  a  well-fitting  gown,  made  her  a 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  139 

fit  subject  for  an  artist — she  was  the  embodiment  of  health  and 
modesty,  the  incarnation  of  beauty  and  happiness.  After  kiss- 
ing her  red,  rosy  lips,  I  would  devour  the  lunch,  then  another 
kiss,  and  she  would  start  for  the  house,  singing  the  merry  old 
song,  "Oh,  how  happy  are  we." 

Though  buried  in  the  depths  of  a  great  forest,  we  were 
not  alone,  for  our  former  young  friends  came  to  see  us  on 
Sundays,  besides  legions  of  good  spirits  attended  our  little  log 
cabin  home,  which  was  Colonel  R.  G.  Ingersoll's  ideal :  "The 
home  where  virtue  dwells,  the  love  is  like  a  lily  with  a  heart 
of  fire,  the  fairest  flower  in  all  this  world/'  Those  were  days 
enstamped  with  heavenly  bliss,  but  we  were  not  only  permitted 
to  enjoy  them  for  about  eighteen  months,  for  Erebus,  with 
sorrow  and  death  in  his  wings,  crossed  the  threshold  of  our 
little  log  cabin  home.  On  New  Year's  night  (1871)  we  at- 
tended a  ball,  and  after  a  lively  dance  Mattie,  unconscious  of 
harm,  placed  herself  in  the  draught  of  an  open  window,  there- 
by contracting  a  severe  cold,  which  finally  developed  into 
pneumonia,  of  which  she  died  about  the  first  of  April.  We 
had,  on  two  or  three  occasions,  talked  of  my  early  affections 
for  her  cousin,  and  why  I  had  deserted  her;  and  now,  a  few 
minutes  before  she  expired,  being  warned  of  God  that  she  was 
wanted  up  higher,  said,  "I  know  that  Nora  has  always  loved  you). 
She  is  as  pure  as  an  angel  and  worthy  to  be  your  wife,  and  I 
hope  you  will  marry  her  when  I  am  gone."  I  assured  her  that 
should  I  conclude  to  marry  again,  none  could  fill  her  place  in 
my  heart  so  well  as  her  cousin  Nora.  This  seemed  perfectly 
satisfactory  to  her,  and,  after  a  few  expressions  of  endearment 
she  took  my  face  between  her  hands  and  drew  me  to  her,  then, 
kissing  me  sweetly,  tenderly  bade  me  farewell,  closed  her  eyes 
and  stepped  into  the  golden  chariot  that  was  awaiting  to  con- 
vey her  to  heaven. 

Mattie  was  the  most  even  tempered  woman  I  ever  saw. 
She  never  got  angry,  never  spoke  disrespectful  of  any  one. 
and  if  she  ever  had  an  enemy,  the  fact  was  never  made  known 
— to  know  her  was  to  love  her.  Therefore  a  combination  of 
the  synonyms  of  grief  and  sorrow,  with  all  the  adjectives  ap- 
plicable to  them,  would  prove  inadequate  to  express  my  lone- 
liness and  distress  of  mind  at  the  loss  of  her.  The  memory 
of  this  spotless  creature  of  God  has  filled  me  with  a  desire  to 
be  as  pure  as  she  was,  and  has  placed  my  feet  on  the  solid  rock, 
up  which  I  am  slowly  creeping  into  realms  of  higher  thoughts 
and  nobler  aspirations,  and  in  whatever  degree  I  may  attain 
to  these  soul-longings  after  purity  and  goodness  it  will  be 
due,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  inspiration  engendered  by  re- 
flection on  the  character  of  a  spotless  and  lovely  woman. 


140  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

In  the  spring  of  1872  I  sought  an  audience  with  my  first 
love,  Nora,  sweet,  beautiful  Nora.  She  was.  present  when  I 
married  her  cousin,  Mattie,  and  when  the  words,  "I  pronounce 
you  man  and  wife,"  fell  from  the  preacher's  lips,  she  turned 
deathly  pale  and  left  the  room.  Up  to  this  moment  I  believed 
I  loved  Mattie,  but  I  was  mistaken,  for  every  tender  emotion 
I  was  capable  of  followed  the  sorrowing  Nora.  So  when  I 
found  her,  I  told  her  that  the  shameful  treatment  to  which  I 
had  subjected  poor  Mattie,  during  the  first  six  months  of  our 
wedded  life,  was  due  to  my  love  for  her ;  frankly  confessed  my 
sin,  begged  a  thousand  pardons,  which  were  graciously  grant- 
ed, and  asked  her  to  be  my  wife.  She  said  "Yes,"  and  on  the 
eighteenth  of  June  we  were  married.  I  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  at  Hall's  Station,  Missouri,  and  lived  a  most  happy 
and  prosperous  life  for  two  years,  during  which  time  I  had  the 
confidence  and  patronage  of  the  entire  community.  Nora  was 
exquisitely  handsome,  a  capital  hostess,  had  a  cordial  greeting 
for  all,  of  vivacious  temperament,  of  pleasant  address,  and  de- 
servedly, the  most  popular  woman  in  the  whole  settlement. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  June  (1875)  a  girl  baby  was  born. 
We  called  her  Maggie  Jane,  but  she  was  soon  nicknamed 
"Polk,"  on  account  of  her  striking  resemblance  to  me.  Al- 
though I  had  lost  a  small  fortune  in  a  lawsuit  (to  which  I  will 
refer  in  a  subsequent  chapter),  and  was  now  compelled  to 
work  hard  to  support  my  little  family,  yet  I  was  the  happiest 
man  in  fourteen  states,  for  I  had  the  prettiest  and  best  wife  in 
all  America,  and  the  smartest  and  sweetest  baby  living.  Dark 
clouds,  however,  were  gathering  all  along  the  horizon  of  my 
happiness.  Presently  the  storm  burst  in  all  its  fury,  and  great 
waves  of  distress,  sorrow  and  shame  engulfed  my  pleasant 
home.  For  four  years  I  was  a  wandering  refugee,  a  stranger 
to  peace  and  joy ;  and  for  two  years  more  hunted  and  chased 
by  real  or  imaginary  foes,  inevitably  becoming  an  Ishmaelite. 
I  first  had  a  siege  of  rheumatism,  during  which  time  Nora  was 
obliged  to  sell  some  furniture  in  order  to  supply  the  necessities 
of  life.  We  then  moved  to  Jefferson  County,  Illinois,  to  take 
charge  of  my  uncle,  John  Wells,'  farm,  but  not  being  satisfied 
with  the  country,  we  returned  to  Missouri.  During  my  ab- 
sence father,  while  sick,  was  persuaded  by  mother  to  make 
over  all  his  property  to  her.  She  already  had  in  her  posses- 
sion all  his  money  (some  twelve  hundred  dollars),  and  when 
he  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  out  again,  she  packed  up  the 
best  of  everything,  and,  taking  the  money  with  her,  moved  to 
her  daughter's  home  in  Kansas,  thus  leaving  him  destitute 
and  alone.  Leaving  Nora  at  her  brother-in-law's,  I  went  to 
Rushville  to  see  father.  Finding  the  old  home  closed,  I  then 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  141 

called  on  his  old  friend,  Mr.  Fenton,  who  said,  "Polk,  under  the 
circumstances  I  was  compelled  to  accede  to  your  father's 
wishes  to  be  taken  to  the  poor  farm,  where  he  died  a  few  days 
ago  of  heart  disease."  "What !  My  proud  old  father  die  in  the 
poor  house?  My  God,  is  this  the  beginning  of  the  fulfillment 
of  Mrs.  Yazell's  prophecy?"  The  constant  recurrence  of  these 
thoughts  unmanned  me  and  I  prayed  to  die.  The  finger  of 
scorn  was  ever  before  me,  and  wherever  I  went  was  sure  to 
meet  that  same  "Go-away-don't-come-near-me-your-father-died- 
ini-the-poor-house"  sort  of  expression  on  the  faces  of  my  once 
familiar  and  trusted  friends.  Occasionally  those  touched  with 
my  grief  tried  to  console  me,  but  their  very  efforts  stung  me 
to  the  heart,  and  I  spurned  their  sympathy.  "If  they  are  truly 
friends,"  I  asked  myself,  "why  do  they  reproach  me  with  a  re"- 
hearsal  of  my  father's  misfortune?"  Some,  I  have  no  doubt 
now,  were  sincere  in  their  efforts  to  cheer  and  comfort  me,  but 
I  misconstrued  their  motives,  saw  only  the  sting  of  contempt 
beneath  their  honeyed  words  and  pleasant  smiles,  and,  of 
course,  repelled  them  all  alike.  Sensitiveness,  then,  was,  has 
been,  and  is  yet  in  too  great  a  measure,  the  bane  of  the 
genius  in  my  life.  A  proud,  high-strung  man  will  suffer  more 
through  sensitiveness  than  from  the  rigors,  hardships  and  pri- 
vations of  a  prolonged  war.  If  this  characteristic  element, 
spirit,  or  whatever  it  is  (I  call  it  Devil)  could  be  eliminated 
from  human  nature,  existence  on  this  earth  would  not  be  so 
replete  with  sorrows,  disappointments  and  vexations.  I  say. 
most  emphatically,  that  nine-tenths  of  the  crimes  committed 
today,  or  any  other  time,  must  be  originally  charged  to  sensi- 
tiveness. It  had  complete  possession  of  me,  and  in  conse- 
quence thereof  I  cursed  Mr.  Yeakly,  my  brother-in-law,  and 
almost  struck  him  for  offering  to  give  me  work.  The  proposi- 
tion to  employ  me  as  a  common  laborer  on  his  farm  was  a  re- 
flection on  my  reduced  condition,  an  insult  of  the  rankest  sort 
to  my  proud  nature,  but  when  his  wife  (Nora's  sister)  told 
me  to  ride  his  horse  to  town  and  sell  it  I  did  not  become  of- 
fended, as  would  have  been  the  case  under  other  circum- 
stances. Of  course  the  good  lady  had  no  thought  of  my  act- 
ing upon  her  jesting  advice.  I  was,  however,  in  a  condition 
to  consider  a  proposition  of  dishonesty  in  preference  to  one 
of  honest  toil,  for  the.  Devil  had  taken  absolute  control  of  my 
mind  and  held  it.  "Oh,  yes,"  said  Mr.  Devil,  "I  know  you  are 
already  on  record  (referring  to  my  late  trial  for  train  robbery) 
as  a  petty  thief,  so  why  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  You 
can  sell  the  horse  for  enough  to  take  you  to  the  mountains, 
where  you  can  soon  make  a  fortune,  return  home,  refund  the 
money  obtained  through  sale  of  the  animal,  and  live  like  a 


142 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

gentleman  the  remainder  of  your  days  on  earth."  This  crush- 
ing insinuation,  "you  are  already  on  record  as  a  petty  thief/' 
together  with  my  father's  ignoble  death,  stifled  my  pride, 
while  the  advice  of  the  mysterious  messenger  gave  me  courage 
to  act  with  hope  of  retrieving  all  I  had  lost.  The  more  I 
thought  about  this  matter  the  clearer  I  saw  my  way  out  of 
the  difficulty,  a'nd  mentally  remarked,  "If  I  sell  the  horse  and 
afterward  refund  the  money,  I  will  not  have  committed  a  very 
great  sin."  There  was,  at  this  time,  great  gold  excitement  in 
various  parts  of  the  west.  I  could  see  great  masses  of  precious 
ore  lying  on  the  ground  waiting  for  me  to  come  and  gather 
it  up.  This  vision  of  gold  and  happiness  put  new  life  into  me. 
My  step  became  more  energetic  and  my  eyes  brightened  at 
the  prospect  of  having,  once  more,  a  home  for  my  wife  and 
baby.  I  yielded  to  Satan's  suggestions,  through  my  sister-in- 
law,  rode  the  horse  to  St.  Joseph,  sold  him  to  Jones  Casey  for 
fifty  dollars,  and  took  the  train  for  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Uncle  Leonard  I  Smith  was  still  living  in  the  Mormon 
metropolis,  and  to  him  I  applied  for  information  concerning 
the  mines.  "The  gold  excitement,"  said  he,  "has  subsided, 
leaving  the  country  overrun  with  idle  men;  I  can,  however, 
give  you  work,  or  get  you  a  situation  elsewhere,  but  just  now 
you  don't  look  able  to  do  much ;  so  make  yourself  at  home  and 
rest  easy  for  a  while."  At  this  time  there  was  a  craze  for 
private  teachers  in  the  homes  of  city  gentlemen;  therefore 
uncle  employed  me  to  act  in  that  capacity  in  his  country  home. 
Having  received  instructions,  I  started  for  the  ranch,  which 
was  some  six  miles  east  of  Tooele  City,  Utah.  I  was  cordial- 
ly received  by  Aunt  Mary  and  felt  myself  at  home  from  the 
start,  but  soon  learned  that  my  pupils  were  better  educated 
than  myself.  I  never  felt  so  unfit  and  unworthy  of  a  situa- 
tion as  I  did  of  this  one  of  schoolmaster.  Besides  a  relapse  of 
rheumatism,  brought  on  by  the  sudden  change  of  climate, 
rendered  me  a  burden  rather  than  a  blessing  to  the  family. 
However,  my  malady  was  of  short  duration,  for  the  great  kindness 
with  which  I  was  treated,  the  thoughts  of  Nora  and  the  baby, 
the  wish  to  get  well,  and  the  health-giving  breeze  off  the  great 
Salt  Lake  soon  put  me  on  the  road  to  convalescence.  I  quick- 
Iv  grew  strong  in  body  and  vigorous  in  mind,  and  zealously 
entered  upon  my  new  duties.  My  topographical  knowledge  of 
a  good  portion  of  the  United  States,  coupled  with  a  familiar- 
ity of  the  history  of  many  leading  statesmen,  enabled  me  to 
answer,  with  some  degree  of  intelligence,  the  many  questions 
of  my  pupils.  I  not  only  succeeded  in  getting  them  interest- 
ed in  their  studies,  but  aroused  their  agricultural  proclivities 
as  well.  Willie,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  and  I  soon  put  the  farm  in 
excellent  condition,  and  collected  a  number  of  cattle  belong- 
ing to  the  ranch. 

Having  harvested  the  wheat,  I  began  plowing  for  another 
crop,  when  uncle  appeared  on  the  scene.  He  was  so  well 
pleased  with  the  way  I  had  conducted  his  affairs  that  he 
shouted  for  joy,  and  declared  I  had  made  the  old  ranch  to 
"blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  said  he  would  have  the  patriarch, 
John  Smith,  bless  me  the  first  time  I  came  to  the  city.  I  now 


144  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

made  a  bargan  with  uncle  to  work  the  farm  on  shares.  He 
was  to  furnish  everything,  including  my  board,  and  give  me 
half  of  all  the  produce,  as  well  as  half  of  the  increase  of  stock. 
When  he  departed  for  the  city  he  took  with  him  a  letter  for 
Nora,  in  which  I  presented  my  prospects  and  implored  her 
forgiveness  for  leaving  home  without  bidding  her  and  the 
baby  good-bye.  Her  answer  relieved  me  very  much.  Mr. 
Yeakly  had  recovered  his  horse,  and  Mr.  Casey,  to  whom  I 
sold  the  animal,  said  he  would  not  prosecute  me.  Nora 
graciously  forgave  me,  and  Mrs.  Yeakly  said  she  would  take, 
care  of  her  and  the  baby  until  I  was  able  to  send  for  them — 
"by  so  doing,"  she  said,  "I  will,  in  a  measure,  atone  for  my 
sin  in  prompting  you  to  do  as  you  did."  Being  thus  freed 
from  anxiety  about  my  family,  and  the  dread  of  arrest  for 
horse-stealing  dispelled,  I  could  work  with  a  will  and  a  light 
heart.  Having  filled  our  own  yard  with  wood  (which  had  to 
be  drawn  from  the  mountains  four  miles  away)  for  winter 
use,  I  then  contributed  two  loads  'to  the  village  school  house, 
which  served  as  a  place  of  worship  for  the  "Saints,"  where 
they  gathered  once  a  week  in  summer  and  twice  a  week  in 
winter  to  "trip  the  light  fantastic  toe."  Uncle's  family  and 
myself  were  regular  attendants  at  the  dances,  which  were 
opened  and  closed  by  prayer  by  the  "Presiding  Elder."  At 
intervals,  the  music  would  stop  long  enough  for  someone  to  tell 
a  story  or  sing  a  song.  These  parties  were  highly  enjoyable 
and  instructive,  good  feeling  among  themselves  prevailed,  and 
courtesy  toward  strangers  (Gentiles)  was  the  rule.  What- 
ever may  be  thought  of,  or  said  about,  Mormonism,  I  have 
this  to  say  of  its  votaries :  they  are  the  most  industrious,  eco- 
nomical, virtuous,  sociable  and  benevolent  people  I  ever  dwelt 
among — the  Dunkards  not  excepted.  They  are,  however,  ter- 
ribly vindictive  when  their  religion  is  scoffed  at. 

During  the  early  part  of  1877  uncle  made  us  several  visits. 
each  time  delivering  a  lecture  in  the  school  house,  on  what  he 
termed  "The  Divine  Authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon." 
He  was  a  handsome  man,  faultless  in  speech,  elegant  in  man- 
ner, and  mathematically  precise  in  his  comparisons  and  rep- 
resentations ;  hence  the  people  "heard  him  gladly."  He  labor- 
ed diligently  to  impress  me  with  the  reasonableness  of  his 
faith  in,  and  the  infallibility  of,  Mormonism,  and  urged  me 
to  embrace  it.  "The  Patriarch,"  he  said,  "is  of  the  opinion 
that  you  are  of  the  seed  of  Ephriam,  and  if  so,  you  are  not 
only  under  ten-fold  obligation,  individually  to  become  a  Latter 
Day  Saint,  but  bound  by  all  the  ties  of  kinship  to  cast  your 
lot  with  us — God  has  sent  you  to  Zion  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  saving  your  friends  and  relatives."  "How  can  I  save 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  145 

them,"  I  asked,  "when  they  are  dead  or  beyond  my  power  of 
assistance?"  Having  read  ist  Cor.  15-29,  32,  he  said,  "You 
see  God  has  provided  a  way  by  which  you  can  save  them, 
though  dead,  viz. :  link  yourself  with  his  chosen  people,  re- 
pent of  your  sins,  believe  on  Jesus  Christ  and  His  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  get  baptized,  first  for  yourself,  then  for  each 
of  your  male  relatives,  using  their  names  at  the  fount  in- 
stead of  yours ;  your  wife  can  act  as  proxy  for  your  mother 
and  sisters,  and  then  in  turn  you  can  do  the  same  for  the  male 
portion  of  her  relatives — just  think  how  glorious  it  will  be  for 
you  to  reign  king  of  the  Wells  and  Wilsons  and  receive  their 
praises  for  evermore."  This  was  a  beautiful  idea,  and  I  was 
deeply  impressed  by  the  earnestness  with  which  it  was  pre- 
sented, yet  the  whole  scheme  was  to  me  the  veriest  bosh,  and 
hence  I  declined  to  accept  the  crown.  Uncle  received  my 
reply  in  evident  sorrow  and  disappointment,  and  after  a  mo- 
ment's reflection  said,  "Charles,  there  cannot  be  a  lake  of  fire 
to  consume  the  wicked  as  represented  by  Gentile  Christianity, 
but  there  is  a  hell  worse  than  that,  viz. :  eternal  servitude  to 
God's  people  (Mormons),  will  be  the  portion  of  the  ungodly 
The  Saints  will  own  everything,  have  all  the  women,  too,  and 
there  will  be  no  appeal  or  change  of  venue  granted  from  this 
decree  when  once  made.  I  would  feel  greatly  pained  to  have 
you  apply  to  me  in  Heaven  for  a  situation  as  carriage  driver." 
"My  dear  uncle,"  said  I,  "you  certainly  will  not  be  less  kindly 
to  me  there  than  you  have  been  here,  therefore,  since  as  you 
know  I  am  particularly  fond  of  fine  horses,  I  shall  consider 
myself  extremely  fortunate  in  securing  the  position  of  coach- 
man of  your  Heavenly  mansion."  This  sort  of  levity,  though 
no  disrespect  intended,  was  rank  sacrilege  in  my  uncle's  esti- 
mation, and  he  turned  angrily  away,  muttering  something  to 
himself  about  the  "buffetings  of  Satan."  He  was  not  so 
agreeable  or  talkative  after  this,  but  always  treated  me  kind- 
ly. On  the  17th  of  July  he  came  out  to  the  farm,  bringing 
with  him  a  letter  from  Nora,  which  informed  me  of  the  death 
of  our  baby,  and  urgently  requesting  me  to  send  for  her  immedi- 
ately. The  next  morning  uncle  and  I  met  in  deadly  combat 
he  armed  with  a  double-barreled  shotgun  and  I  with  a  Colt's 
revolver.  He  fell  at  the  second  shot,  while  I  remained  stand- 
ing, though  twenty-eight  number  two  buck-shot  from  his  gun 
entered  my  breast,  left  arm  and  thighs.  Bleeding  furiously  I 
hastened  to  Tooele,  (the  county  seat)  and  after  having  my 
wounds  dressed  by  Dr.  Dodds,  surrendered  to  the  sheriff.  No 
words  can  fittingly  express  the  regret  of  my  heart  over  this 
tragedy,  which  occurred  in  the  presence  of  twenty  witnesses 
and  all  I  have  to  say  in  vindication  of  my  conduct  is  that  I  was 


146  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

innocent  of  the  charge  uncle  preferred  against  me,  and,  of 
course,  acted  in  self-defense.  Yet  I  have  a  thousand  times 
wished  that  I  had  fallen  instead  of  uncle,  for  he  was  a  good 
man,  kind  husband,  an  indulging  father  and  a  mo-st  excellent 
neighbor. 

The  Endowment  House  (practically  house  of  secrets)  is 
a  prominent  and  significant  feature  of  Mormonism,  and  only 
the  true  and  tried  are  permitted  to  cross  the  threshold  of  this 
sacred  institution,  and  one  of  the  many  orders  finding  ready 
admittance  is  the  "Danites,"  six  hundred  strong,  composed  of 
"mighty  men  of  valor,"  who  are  ready  and  willing  to  do  any- 
thing in  the  behalf  of  the  church,  or  to  avenge  wrongs  com- 
mitted by  Gentiles  against  its  subjects.  In  the  absence  of  male 
relatives  to  administer  vengeance,  a  young  Danite  is  commis- 
sioned to  execute  the  decree  of  death.  He  goes  forth  with  or- 
ders to  follow  the  condemned  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  is 
bound  by  a  terrible  oath  never  to  return  until  having  killed 
the  offender.  John  D.  Lee,  Porter  Rockwell  and  Bally  Hick- 
man  (the  delegated  "Destroying  Angels")  were  at  the  head 
of  the  Danites.  Ordinarily  they  were  able  in  themselves  to 
cope  with  offenders,  but  were  vested  with  power  in  extra- 
ordinary case  to  summon  the  entire  "order,"  and  a  failure  to 
respond  to  their  call  was  equivalent  to  death.  The  Danites 
talked  freely  of  lynching  me,  but  they  were  confused  over  the 
execution  of  their  leader,  John  D.  Lee,  by  the  United  States 
Government.  Besides,  Sheriff  Mitchell,  who  was  an  old  Cali- 
fornian,  said  if  mob  violence  was  attempted  he  would  oppose 
it  with  the  entire  Gentile  population,  which  was  largely  in  the 
majority  in  Tooele  County.  All  county  officials,  except  Judge 
William  Lee,  were  Gentiles.  I  was  given  a  preliminary  hear- 
ing, and  would  have  been  acquitted  under  the  same  evidence 
rendered  before  a  Gentile  judge,  but  Mr.  Lee  was  a  Mormon 
of  the  Endowment  Order,  and,  though  in  great  sympathy  with 
me,  dare  not  ignore  his  oath ;  therefore,  I  was  held  to  await  the 
action  of  the  grand  jury,  and  ordered  confined  in  the  county 
jail.  The  sheriff,  however,  disregarded  the  order,  gave  me 
two  pistols  with  which  to  defend  myself,  and  said,  "All  I  ask 
of  you,  Charles,  is  to  report  at  the  hotel  where  I  stay  for  your 
meals  and  lodging  until  your  case  is  finally  disposed  of  by 
proper  authority. 

Sheriff  Mitchell,  upon  August  10th,  having  business  in 
another  county,  requested  me  to  go  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  sur- 
render to  the  United  States  marshal.  He  gave  me  ten  dollars 
and  allowed  me  to  keep  his  revolvers,  and  sent  his  deputy 
with  me  to  the  city.  We  wandered  about  town  for  some  time, 
and  I  was  given  every  opportunity  to  escape — which  the  sher- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  147 

iff  no  doubt  intended  I  should  do — but  such  a  thought  never 
entered  my  mind.  The  deputy,  noting  this  fact,  was  obliged 
at  last  to  deliver  me  to  the  marshal,  Colonel  Nelson,  who,  af- 
ter consulting  the  court,  decided  that,  since  the  county  jail 
was  controlled  by  Mormons,  the  penitentiary  was  the  safest 
place  for  me.  Accordingly  Deputy  Marshal  Cole  escorted  me 
to  the  prison,  some  four  miles  southeast  of  the  city.  I  was 
cordially  received  by  Warden  Van  Camp  and  presented  to  a 
number  of  his  more  noted  and  conspicuous  guests,  to  three  of 
whom  I  will  introduce  the  reader,  Eli  Lee,  son  of  John  D.  Lee. 
of  Mountain  Meadow  massacre  fame;  William  Sloan  (alia^ 
"Idaho  Bill"),  only  survivor  of  the  above  named  massacre,  and 
Dick  Bennett  (alias  Jack  Wiggins),  originally  from  Missouri 
and  a  once  trusted  member  of  the  James  gang.  Eli  and  Idaho 
were  raised  together  by  Rachel,  the  legitimate  wife  of  John  D. 
Lee.  They  were  fast  friends,  fairly  well  educated,  and  early 
became  imbued  with  a  deadly  hatred  for  Mormonism,  and 
hence  stood  no  better  in  the  eyes  of  the  church  than  myself. 
These  men  had  just  begun  a  ten  years'  sentence,  the  first  two 
for  highway  robbery,  and  the  latter  for  murder  in  the  second 
degree;  consequently  they  were  very  anxious  to  gfet  away, 
but  two  escapes  having  occurred  within  six  weeks,  in  which 
two  of  Warden  Van  Camp's  predecessors  were  killed,  caused 
that  gentleman  to  be  doubly  vigilant.  When  I  entered  the  in- 
stitution, the  boys  took  new  hope,  and  finally  convinced  me 
that,  if  I  had  neither  money  nor  friends,  the  lawyers  would 
not  take  my  case.  "If  one  is  appointed  by  the  court  to  de- 
fend you,"  said  Lee,  "he  will  put  your  case  off  to  attend  to 
other  business,  and  the  chances  are  that  you  will  have  to  lay 
here  for  years  before  getting  a  trial."  Idaho  then  pointed  out 
two  young  men  who  were  in  my  condition,  and  who  had  been 
in  prison  four  years  and  were  no  nearer  a  trial  than  when  ar- 
rested. I  learned  this  also  from  one  of  the  guards,  who 
seemed  kindly  disposed  toward  me.  I  recognized  the  fact 
that  I  could  not,  without  money,  command  the  services  of  an 
attorney,  and  would,  of  course,  have  to  await  his  pleasure 
in  taking  hold  of  my  case.  The  idea  of  escaping  was  farthest 
from  my  thoughts,  nor  did  the  men  around  suggest  such  a 
measure  at  first.  They  seemed  to  content  themselves  with 
making  me  feel  as  blue  as  possible,  but  on  reaching  that  state 
of  desperation  when  death  is  preferable  to  life,  Idaho  Bill,  who 
was  a  skillful  mind  reader,  approached  me  on  the  subject  of 
making  an  escape. 

The  penitentiary  consisted  of  one  acre  of  ground,  en- 
closed by  four  huge  adobe  walls,  on  which  were  stationed  day 
and  night,  four  guards  armed  with  Winchester  rifles;  four 


148  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

large  street  lamps  kept  the  yard  bright  as  day  at  night.  Its 
walls  were  of  two  by  eight  stuff,  spiked  together  flatwise ;  the 
foundation  was  of  ordinary  construction,  and  the  floor  laid  of 
large  flat  stones.  Along  the  east  side  and  south  ends  were 
three  tiers  of  bunks.  In  the  west  side  were  three  small  win- 
dows, and  in  the  north  end  was  the  iron-grated  door.  Imme- 
diately north  of  this  door,  twenty  paces,  was  the  big  gate 
which  opened  into  the  warden's  reception  room,  and  adjoining 
this  on  the  east  along  the  north  wall  was  his  residence.  Di- 
rectly over  the  big  gate  was  a  room  leading  onto  the  wall.  In 
this  room  the  relief  guards  slept,  in  front  of  which  gathered 
those  on  duty  when  anything  unusual  was  going  on  in  the 
prison  house,  and  in  which  eighty-five  men — sixty  convicts, 
the  rest,  like  myself,  awaiting  trial — were  compelled  (during 
summer)  from  six  p.  m.  to  half  past  seven  a.  m.  They  were 
allowed  two  meals  a  day — breakfast  at  eight  and  supper  at 
four.  The  menu  was  too  horrible  for  description.  The  men 
were  dressed  in  citizen  style  and  without  employment.  After 
breakfast  everybody  (except  the  sick)  were  turned  into  the 
yard,  the  house  locked  and  the  key  sent  to  the  warden's  of- 
fice. The  prisoners  were  allowed  an  undisturbed  intercourse. 
Some  walked  arm  in  arm  and  conversed  on  the  political  issues 
of  the  day;  others  engaged  in  various  athletic  sports  to  pass 
away  the  time,  while  the  desperate  characters  were  plotting  an 
escape.  At  six  o'clock  the  men  were  driven  into  the  house 
and  counted  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  Now  fiddling,  dancing,  card 
playing  and  vile  stories  were  in  order  until  nine  o'clock,  when 
all  must  retire,  and  from  that  time  on  no  one  was  allowed  to 
speak  above  a  low  whisper. 

Lee  and  Idaho  having  formulated  a  plan  of  escape  it  de- 
volved upon  me  to  play  sick,  in  order  that  I  might  remain  in 
the  house,  so  I  could  braid,  out  of  strips  of  blanket,  a  rope 
with  which  to  scale  the  wall.  On  the  night  of  September  4th. 
while  the  guards  were  collected  at  the  guard  house  over  the 
big  gate  so  they  could  look  through  the  grated  door  at  the 
prisoners  dancing,  I  went  to  work  on  the  foundation  of  the 
house  that  held  me  captive.  Having  accomplished  my  pur- 
pose, I  said  "Come  on,  boys,"  and  as  the  last  man  (Wiggins) 
in  the  secret,  made  his  exit  the  guard  called,  "Nine  O'clock." 
Wre  hastened  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  enclosure  where 
Idaho  Bill,  the  giant,  placed  his  hands  against  the  wall,  Wig- 
gins next  on  top  of  Bill,  and  Wilson  on  Wiggins'  shoulders ; 
now  Lee,  with  the  agility  of  a  cat,  sprang  up  the  improvised 
ladder,  and  from  Wilson's  shoulders  was  enabled  to  mount  the 
wall,  but  his  panther-like  spring  sent  the  boys  to  the  ground 
like  a  "strike"  in  nine-pins.  He  took  a  turn  around  a  post  in 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


149 


the  wall  with  the  blanket  rope,  which  was  quickly  ascended  by 
the  other  men,  but  the  terrible  ordeal  I  had  passed  through, 
coupled  with  the  work  and  excitement  incident  to  such  an 
event,  overtaxed  my  strength,  and  when  midway  up  the  rope 
I  gave  out  and  fell  to  the  ground.  By  this  time  our  escape  had 
been  discovered,  and  the  guards  were  rushing  along  the  walls 
in  search  of  us.  Lee  was  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  and  well  he 
deserved  the  sobriquet  "Daring  Eli,"  now  said,  "Charles,  tie 
the  rope  around  your  waist  and  we'll  pull  you  up  or  die  try- 
ing." Although  an  expert  with  the  rope,  I  had  not  time  to 
make  a  loop,  so  I  seized  it  with  both  hands  and  teeth  and  was 
quickly  landed  on  top  of  the  wall,  from  which  we  tumbled  like 
turtles  off  a  log  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

Hatless,  coatless  and  barefooted,  over  sage  brush  and 
prickly  pear,  we  hurried  toward  Tooele  City,  where  Lee  had 
friends,  of  whom  we  expected  to  get  clothes  and  arms.  Before 


An  Exciting  Scrap  with   the  Danites. 


daylight  we  entered  the  timber  on  the  mountains  overlooking 
Garfield  station,  on  the  great  Salt  Lake.  Here  we  remained  un- 
til night  came  again,  and  when  the  lights  in  the  village  were 
extinguished,  came  down  from  our  hiding  place  and  entered  the 
store  of  Mr.  Moss,  a  good  Mormon,  and  took  a  double-bar- 
reled shot-gun  along  with  such  other  things  as  were  most 


150  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

needed.  I  vigorously  protested  against  this  unlawful  act,  but 
the  boys  laughed  at  me  and  said  they  would,  in  a  few  days,  pay 
for  the  goods  providing  the  merchant  said  nothing  about  our 
visit,  but  the  gentleman,  recognizing  Lee  and  myself  said  ne 
would  report  us  to  the  officers  in  the  city  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment.  The  officers  of  the  law  and  the  Danites  were 
soon  in  pursuit  of  us ;  we  succeeded,  however,  in  eluding  them 
and  returned  to  the  city  where  Higgins  and  Wilson  deserted 
us.  Lee  and  Idaho  now  stole  three  fine  horses  which,  under 
my  protest,  we  mounted  and  started  for  the  Medicine  Bow 
Mountains,  in  Wyoming.  The  next  evening  at  the  camp  of  a 
sheep  herder,  where  we  stopped  to  get  something  to  eat  and 
to  let  our  horses  rest,  we  had  a  battle  with  the  Danites,  in 
which  several  of  them  were  wounded.  After  the  first  volley 
Idaho  Bill  run,  Lee  fell  forward  on  his  face  as  if  a  bullet  had 
pierced  his  heart,  and  I  then  ran  in  the  same  direction  Bill  had 
taken. 

The  sun  had  settled  behind  the  tall  Wastch  Mountains, 
which  cast  a  grateful  shadow  over  the  scene,  preventing  fur- 
ther pursuit  on  the  part  of  the  Danites  for  that  evening.  Bill 
and  I  soon  got  together  and  hid  ourselves  in  the  brush,  on  the 
creek  bottom,  to  await  the  passing  of  a  Union  Pacific  train,  so 
.we  could  tell  in  which  direction  we  wanted  to  go  by  its  whistle. 
Presently  one  was  heard  coming  down  Echo  Canyon,  and  a  min- 
ute later  began  whistling  for  Echo  City,  but  we  could  not  for  the 
life  of  us  locate  the  whistle.  Its  sound  rushed  up  one  canyon 
and  down  another,  bouncing  from  crag  to  crag,  filling  the 
mountains  with  bellowing  fiery  monsters,  completely  bewil- 
dering us  as  to  the  direction.  If  "Mark  Twain"  is  still  in 
search  of  an  "eighteen  carat  echo,"  he  can  surely  find  one  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  "Devil's  Slide,"  on  Weber  River,  Utah.  The 
roaring  of  the  train  died  away  like  unto  distant  thunder,  and 
the  wind  had  driven  the  thick  clouds  before  it,  letting  the  sil- 
ver moon  look  down  upon  us  in  peaceful  splendor,  raising  our 
courage,  and  increasing  our  hopes  of  escape.  The  north  star- 
in  its  shroud  of  purple,  glittered  like  a  jewel,  and  seemed  to 
invite  us  in  his  direction,  but  we  preferred  going  east.  As  we 
were  about  to  depart  soft  footsteps  fell  upon  our  alert  ears. 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  an  object  through  an  opening  in  the 
bushes  which  had  every  appearance  of  a  man  crawling  along 
on  his  hands  and  knees.  When  directly  in  front,  and  within 
ten  paces  of  us,  I  leveled  my  gun  to  fire.  "Hold,"  said  Bill, 
"it's  a  bear ;  if  you  shoot  it  the  Danites — who  were  still  at  the 
sheep  camp,  for  we  could  hear  them  talking — will  be  after  us 
in  a  minute."  Old  Bruin,  hearing  Bill's  voice,  or  the  click  of 
the  gun  lock,  reared  on  his  haunches  and  gazed  so  steadily  at 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  151 

us  that  I  began  to  doubt  its  being  a  bear  and,since  decisive 
action  is  more  agreeable  to  my  nature  than  prolonged  suspense, 
I  threw  a  stone,  which  struck  the  intruder's  head,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  his  retreating  or  attacking  us  at  once,  and  he  chose  the 
latter.  Bill  had  said,  "If  he  attacks  us  we  must  fight  it  out 
with  our  knives  as  it  will  not  do  to  run  or  shoot."  We  met 
Bruin  with  cold  steel,  and  equally  cool  determination,  and  his 
bearship  was  quickly  dispatched.  Bill  received  an  affectionate 
embrace  and  was  bitten  in  the  hand,  but  I  escaped  without 
harm.  We  cut  from  the  bear's  quarter  a  chunk  of  meat  for  our 
breakfast  and  immediately  left  this  unpleasant  place.  We 
reached  Weber  River  late  in  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  and 
secreted  ourselves  in  the  tall  willows  some  distance  below  Echo 
City,  at  the  mouth  of  Echo  Canyon.  Here  we  were  obliged  to 
remain  until  dark  in  order  to  enter  the  canyon  unobserved,  or 
make  a  long  and  tedious  journey  around  the  village.  We  were 
facetiously  congratulating  ourselves  on  having  successfully 
eluded  the  sleuth-hounds  of  Mormondo<m,  when  lo,  to  our  as- 
tonishment and  dismay,  about  thirty  well  mounted  avenging 
angels  appeared  on  the  bluff  directly  above  and  within  one 
hundred  yards  of  where  we  lay.  "Here's  where  they  went 
down,"  said  one.  of  the  Danites,  and  the  party  plunged  down 
the  hillside  toward  us.  We  rushed  fro  mour  hiding  places 
amid  shouts  of  "Halt,  halt,  sic,  sic."  [The  two  big  black  dogs 
— thinking  we  were  after  the  same  object — dashed  past  us, 
leaped  over  the  bank  and  swam  across  the  river.  We  dropped 
on  the  ground,  in  a  clump  of  bushes,  and  the  destroying  angels 
seeing  the  dogs  sweeping  along  the  opposite  shore,  sailed  past 
on  either  side  and  within  ten  paces  of  where  we  lay.  We  now 
returned  to  the  point  from  which  we  were  routed.  I  led  the 
way,  holding  to  Bill's  coat-tail,  while  we  walked  backward 
with  brush  in  hand,  effacing  our  trail  in  the  sand.  Presently 
our  pursuers  returned,  as  anticipated,  looking  for  our  tracks. 
They  rode  around  and  around,  passed  and  repassed  us  twenty 
times,  and  when  they  could  no  longer  see,  galloped  away  down 
the  river,  cursing  their  "stupid"  canine  friends  and  their  ill 
success.  We  suffered  much  from  hunger  and  nightly  forced 
marches,  no  human  eye  seeing  us  until  Green  River  City.  Here 
Bill  sold  a  Masonic  badge  for  ten  dollars,  and  we  then  entered 
a  restaurant  for  supper.  There  are  at  least  two  periods  in  a 
man's  life  when  he  will  diligently  search  the  papers,  viz:  when 
running  for,  or  running  from,  an  officer.  So  while  our  meal 
was  being  prepared,  we  hastily  examined  the  news  stand.  A 
Salt  Lake  paper  was  found  containing  a  full  account  of  our 
chase  up  to  the  sheep  camp,  and  closed  by  saying,  "Wiggins. 
Wilson,  Lee  and  Idaho  Bill  made  good  their  escape,  but  Wells 


152  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

was  captured,  hung,  and  his  body  riddled  with  Danite  bullets." 
Of  course  it  was  gratifying  to  be  thus  disposed  of,  and  as  I 
had  some  delicacy  in  contradicting  the  statement,  the  Mor- 
mons were  permitted  for  a  time  to  gloat  over  the  false  ac- 
count of  "summary  vengeance  and  retributive  justice."  Next 
day,  at  Wilkins,  we  were  arrested  on  a  charge  of  robbing  a 
ranchman's  wagon,  taken  back  to  Green  River  and  put  in  jail. 
Three  days  later,  while  having  our  preliminary  examination, 
the  Sheriff  brought  in  the  guilty  parties  and  we  were  released. 
But  Bill  made  use  of  insulting  language  to  express  his  indig- 
nation at  our  unlawful  detention,  whereupon  the  judge  fined 
him  twenty-five  dollars  for  contempt  of  court,  and  not  having 
that  amount  he  was  returned  to  jail.  His  Honor  then  gave  me  "fif- 
teen minutes  to  get  out  of  town."  I  was  not  like  the  cowboy, 
who,  on  receiving  similar  instructions  at  Cheyenne,  said,  "all 
right,  jedge,  if  my  broncho  don't  buck  I'll  git  thar."  There 
was  no  danger  of  my  broncho  bucking,  therefore  the  time  al- 
lowed to  disappear  was  sufficient  and  right  willingly  did  I 
avail  myself  of  the  privilege.  Lee  was  captured  at  Cheyenne 
and  taken  back  to  the  Utah  penitentiary;  Wilson  and  Idaho 
Bill  were  hung  for  stage  robbery  by  the  vigilantes  near  Vir- 
ginia City,  Montana,  and  Wiggins  (alias  Jack  McCarthy)  died 
with  smallpox  in  1884.  He  was  still  a  fugitive  from  justice,  liv- 
ing in  a  "dug-out"  on  the  western  border  of  Kansas,  when  the 
Sheriff  of  Satan  seized  him  and  he  went  down  to  the  grave  un- 
wept, unhonored  and  unsung — such  is  the  fate  of  the  trans- 
gressor. 

I  traveled  mostly  alone  after  leaving  Green  River,  but  at 
midnight  joined  myself  to  a  "citizen  (tramp)  of  that  country," 
and  "would  fain  have  filled  my  belly"  with  the  roots  that  the 
prairie  dogs  did  eat,  but  God,  in  His  mercy,  withheld  the  curse 
of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Arriving  at  a  water  tank,  some  miles  west 
of  Rawlins,  I  found  half  a  dozen  tramps  waiting  for  an  east 
bound  freight  train.  They  had  all  been  to  the  section  house  for 
something  to  eat,  but  each,  in  turn,  was  sent  away  empty 
handed.  They  laughed  at  me  when  I  proposed  to  try  my  luck 
with  Mr.  Dives,  of  the  "Bitter  Creek"  Division.  The  foreman 
of  the  section  gang  was  digging  a  cellar  near  his  kitchen  door. 
I  approached  and  said,  "Sir,  please  let  me  work  a  while  for 
something  to  eat/'  He  readily  recognized  the  fact  that  I  was 
not  a  professional  tramp,  and  the  scowl  that  darkened  his 
handsome  face  changed  into  compassion  as  he  said,  "All  right 
young  fellow."  He  went  to  the  depot,  leaving  me  at  work 
on  the  cellar  while  his  little  girl  sat  on  the  bank  and  talked  to 
me.  Her  mother's  maiden  name  was  Fannie  Cox  and  her 
Grandma  Cox,  she  said,  "lived  in  .Omaha,  Nebraska."  The 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  153 

child,  having  given  me  a  full  account  of  the  family,  ran  after 
her  pa,  leaving  me  to  wrestle  with  the  dirt  and  with  the  demon 
spirit  of  hypocrisy  and  selfishness.  "I  will,"  I  said,  "pretend 
to  know  Mrs.  Fannie — and  perhaps  she  will  give  me  a  good 
supper."  Accordingly,  when  the  lady  called  me,  I  entered  the 
house  and  in  a  surprised  but  pleased  manner  extended  my  hand 
with  "glad  to  see  you,  Fannie."  The  lady  was  really  "delighted 
to  see  an  old  friend,"  but  she  could  not  recall  my  name.  She 
gave  me  an  excellent  supper  and  when  I  declined  to  stay  over 
night,  said,  "let  me  put  you  up  a  lunch  for  tomorrow."  I  ac- 
cepted the  lunch  in  genuine  thankfulness,  yet  my  tongue 
burned  with  shame  and  my  soul  was  marred  by  the  practice  of 
deception.  Her  husband,  too,  pressed  me  to  stay  over  night 
with  them,  but  I  could  not,  having  already  told  a  hundred  lies 
in  support  of  each  other,  and  refused  to  give  my  name  for  rea- 
sons already  known.  The  freight  train  arrived  and  the  foreman 
asked  the  conductor  to  let  me  ride  with  him  to  Rawlins. 

At  Fort  Steel,  on  the  North  Platte  River,  I  undertook  to 
ride  a  wild  horse  for  a  ranchman.  The  saddle  was  re-adjusted 
and  I  mounted  the  unconquerable  steed,  raised  the  blind  and 
he  at  once  commenced  the  gyrating  movement,  then  bucked 
backwa-d  and  forward  alternately,  which  movement  would  up- 
set, the  liver  of  a  wooden  man,  but  failing  to  throw  me  off 
sprang  forward  at  full  speed — a  characteristic  of  the  wild  horse 
that  if  he  starts  to  run  he  will  continue  until  exhausted,  when 
he  becomes  perfectly  tractable  and  ever  after  recognizes  that 
rider  as  his  master,  though  he  will  sometimes  buck  when  a 
stranger  mounts  him — toward  the  river,  and,  instead  of  turn- 
ing, as  I  expected,  took  a  fearful  leap  into  the  stream.  The 
water  was  not  deep  enough  to  break  the  force  of  our  descent 
consequently  the  horse's  front  legs  were  broken  short  off  by 
striking  the  hard  bottom,  and  the  shock  so  stunned  me  that  I 
fell  into  the  water  and  drowned,  that  is  to  say,  I  was  past  re- 
covery so  far  as  any  efforts  to  save  myself  were  concerned.  I 
was  quickly  rescued  from  my  perilous  condition  and  soon  re- 
gained consciousness,  and  after  receiving  from  the  gentleman 
the  ten  dollars,  which  he  had  offered  to  anyone  who  could  ride 
the  horse,  and  to  which  the  cowboys  admitted  I  was  entitled. 
I  again  started  toward  the  rising  sun.  I  was  about  to  give  up 
the  search  for  employment  when  Mr.  D.  R.  Clay,  County  Com- 
missioner, drove  into  Medicine  Bow  and  someone  said  "there's 
young  Clay,  he  has  a  fine  ranch  eighteen  miles  northwest  of 
here ;  perhaps  he  can  give  you  work."  I  was  a  seedy  looking 
individual,  but  mustered  courage  to  ask  the  commissioner  for 
a  job.  "I  have,"  said  he,  "more  men  than  I  really  need,  but 
you  may  stay  with  me  until  the  round-up  commences  when 


154  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

your  services  will  be  needed  by  some  of  my  neighbors,  or  an  op- 
portunity may  present  itself  by  which  you  can  make  a  few  dol- 
lars by  catching  Mavericks."  I  took  a  seat  in  the  buggy  beside 
the  gentleman,  and  at  sundown  we  reached  his  home  on  Medi- 
cine River.  Mrs.  Clay,  dressed  in  silk,  with  diamonds  flashing, 
looking  more  like  a  princess  than  the  wife  of  a  ranchman,  came 
out  to  meet  her  husband,  and  said,  "Dear,  you  must  come  right 
in  for  supper  is  waiting."  On  our  way  to  the  ranch  Mr.  Clay, 
a  philosopher  and  a  brilliant  conversationalist,  talked  about  the 
mountains  and  valleys ;  of  various  countries  and  sancient 
heroes;  quoted  Homer  and  Shakespeare,  and  told  me  many 
pleasant  stories.  But  he  asked  no  questions  relative  to  my  life 
or  calling,  nor  did  he  say  anything  about  his  own  affairs. 
Therefore,  I  was  unprepared  to  meet  the  handsome  lady  and 
her  little  daughter,  Mabel,  amid  the  splendors  of  civilization 
away  out  here  among  the  sage  brush  and  mountain  lion;  but 
rather  expected  to  find  a  den  of  cowboys  surrounded  with  their 
usual  paraphernalia :  saddles,  spurs,  lariats,  horse  hobbles  and 
big  whips ;  with  the  walls  strung  with  hair  cinches,  cantanas. 
tapideroes  and  chaparijoes  (leather  breeches),  pistols  and  guns. 
After  supper  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clay  stepped  into  the  parlor,  leav- 
ing me  alone  in  the  dining  room.  I  almost  adored  Mr.  Clay  for 
his  kindness  to  me  and  thought  I  had  detected  (and  did)  some- 
thing of  his  noble  character  and  considerateness  in  the  beauti- 
ful face  of  his  wife,  yet  she  seemed  so  self-superior  and  haughty 
that  I  wished  myself  away,  and  was  on  the  point  of  flying 
from  the  room,  when  she  entered  with  a  lovely  boquet  and; 
holding  it  toward  me,  asked,  "Are  you  fond  of  flowers?"  I 
replied  that  I  was,  at  the  same  time  taking  them  from  her 
jeweled  hand.  "What  is  your  name?"  was  the  next  puzzling 
question.  I  was  not  as  proficient  in  lying  then  as  I  became 
afterward,  but,  swallowing  the  lump  that  had  risen  in  my 
throat,  I  managed  to  say,  "John  Watson."  Taking  me  by  the 
arm  she  said,  "Come  with  me,  John."  We  passed  into  a  large, 
well  furnished  room,  where  Mr.  Clay  sat  playing  with  his  little 
angel,  Mabel.  I  was  shown  the  bric-a-brac,  flowers,  picture 
albums  and  a  large  case  full  of  excellent  books,  which  the  good 
lady  said  I  was  welcome  to  use,  and  that  I  must  consider  my- 
self at  home  while  I  remained  with  them.  The  whole  scene 
appeared  to  be  a  dream,  or  a  real  reproduction  of  that  happy 
home  of  my  childhood,  therefore,  when  Mr.  Clay — who  ap- 
provingly witnessed  our  tour  of  inspection — asked,  "Now,  sir. 
how  do  you  like  our  little  home,"  I  could  not  answer  him  but 
buried  my  face  in  my  hands  and  silently  wept  while  he  played 
"Home,  Sweet  Home"  on  the  organ,  his  wife  accompanying 
him  with  her  voice  and  the  guitar.  I  was  most  miserable  in 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  155 

thought,  yet  felt  happy  and  thankful  for  having  fell  into  the 
hands  of  these  good  Samaritans.  The  music  was  continued  until 
bed  time,  when  Mr.  Clay  escorted  me  into  an  adjoining  room 
and  pointing  to  a  bed  (fit  for  President  Cleveland),  said,  "You 
can  sleep  there,  John."  "I  cannot  sleep  in  that  bed,  sir."  "Why 
not?"  "Because  I  am  covered  with  filth  and  parasites."  "Oh, 
we  can  easily  remedy  that,"  said  he.  After  taking  a  thorough 
bath,  I  put  on  a  suit  of  Mr.  Clay's  clothes,  consigned  my  own. 
with  its  numerous  family,  to  the  flames  and  returned  to  my 
room. 

There  has  been  much  speculation  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
term  "Maverick,"  and  the  vocation  of  the  "cowboy."  Most 
people  believe  the  latter  is  of  the  nineteenth  century  produc- 
tion, but  a  perusal  of  sacred  history  shows  that  Abel  "brought 
of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  an  offering  unto  the  Lord."  Abra- 
ham and  Lot  had  herds  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  "and  there  was 
a  strife"  between  their  cow-boys.  Saul  was  a  ranchman  and 
Da  an  Edomite,  was  his  foreman,  and  kept  on  hand  an  army 
of  cowboys.  Amos  was  a  cowboy  in  Syria,  and  Moses  himself 
participated  in  the  great  "round-up"  in  Egypt.  And  Isaac  was 
a  cattle  king  in  Gerar.  St.  Patrick,  the  exterminator  of  snakes 
herded  cattle  on  the  mountains  of  Ireland;  and  Carrera,  begin- 
ning life  as  a  cowboy,  rose  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Republic  of 
Gautemala.  Therefore,  the  cowboys'  profession  is  not  only 
made  honorable  by  its  long  standing,  but  by  its  distinguished 
participants ;  while  the  "Maverick"  is  of  comparatively  recent 
origin.  I  have  heard  many  hot  and  furious  debates  over  its 
birthplace,  but  the  most  reasonable  and  authentic  account 
comes  from  George  M.  Maverick,  who,  in  a  letter  to  the  St. 
Louis  Republic,  says :  "Honorable  Samuel  A.  Maverick,  of  San 
Antonio,  Texas,  was  a  lawyer,  with  a  strong  propensity  for 
speculation,  and  during  the  year  1845,  a  neighbor  being  in  debt 
to  him,  settled  the  account  by  transferring  to  him  a  herd  of 
cattle.  Mr.  Maverick,  being  absorbed  in  real  estate  matters, 
allowed  the  increase  of  his  herd  to  grow  up  unbranded.  The 
calf,  becoming  independent,  leaves  the  mother,  and,  if  over 
six  months  old  and  unbranded  is  thereafter  known  as  a  "Mav- 
erick." Neighbors  regarded  all  such  calves  as  being  Maver- 
icks, so  they  called  them  'Mavericks.'  No  one  could  know  his 
cattle  except  by  the  brand,  and  so  the  first  brand  settled  the 
question  of  ownership ;  therefore  the  unbranded,  stray  calves 
were  dubbed  'Mavericks.'  The  name  spread  throughout  the 
west  and  'filled  an  aching  void/  for  the  cowboy  of  today  would 
be  lonesome  if  he  could  not  call  a  'maverick'  a  'maverick/  J 

On   the   tenth   day   after   my   arrival   at   Mr.   Day's   the 
"round-up"  (a  semi-annual  practice)  was  inaugurated.    A  num- 


156  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

her  of  stock  raisers,  with  a  score  of  cowboys,  mounted  their 
horses  and  set  out  for  the  chase.  Mr.  Clay,  myself  and  his 
herder  accompanied  the  party.  The  various  herds,  after  sev- 
eral days  hard  riding,  were  collected  at  Mr.  Clay's  ranch, 
where  the  necessary  branding  was  to  be  done.  Small  bands 
were  "cut  out"  from  the  main  herd  and  driven  into  a  stout 
corral,  where  two  or  more  posts  were  set  firmly  into  the 
ground,  and  to  these  the  cattle,  after  being  lassoed,  were 
drawn,  with  heads  cloise  up  to  the  snubbing  post.  Another 
rope  is  thrown  over  the  head,  two  half-hitches  taken  round  the 
body,  then  a  quick,  strong  pull  on  it  by  the  cowboys  and  the 
animal  falls  on  its  side,  and  before  recovering  from  the  surprise 
the  branding  iron  is  applied.  The  unclaimed  and  unbranded 
stock  (mostly  young)  was  put  into  a  separate  lot  while  the  rest 
of  the  band  was  turned  upon  the  prairie  and  another  corralled 
Thus  the  work  continued  until  the  entire  herd  was  disposed  of. 
Then  the  "Mavericks" — the  legitimate  property  of  the  cowboys 
— were  driven  into  the  corral,  when,  to  me,  the  real  fun  com- 
menced. On  such  occasions  each  vaquero  stands  ready,  lasso 
in  hand,  and  at  the  word  "go"  all  rush  toward  the  "mavericks." 
Occasionally  all  the  boys  miss,  owing  to  the  fact  of  their  be- 
coming entangled  in  each  other's  lariats,  in  which  case  the  um- 
pire calls  "time,"  and  a  new  start  is  taken.  When  the  first  loop 
encircles  a  calf's  neck  "time"  is  called.  The  "maverick"  brand- 
ed with  the  employer's  brand,  and  the  successful  cowboy  re- 
ceives its  value  in  cash.  In  case  of  two  being  caught  simultan- 
eously they  are  both  branded,  otherwise  only  the  first,  and  the 
other  turned  loose  when  a  new  start  is  made.  I  have  seen  as 
high  as  three  lassoes  on  one  calf's  neck  at  the  same  time,  but 
the  first  loop  held  the  "maverick."  On  the  occasion  of  the 
"round-up"  in  question  there  were  twenty-five  "mavericks" 
and  eighteen  "contestants"  in  the  corral.  I  caught  seven  out 
of  the  twenty-five  "mavericks,"  thereby  distinguishing  myself 
as  an  expert  with  the  lasso.  My  seven  calves  were  branded 
with  Mr.  Clay's  brand  and  I  received  for  them  sixty  dollars. 
Mr.  Stanley,  a  large  stock  owner,  being  present,  offered  me 
sixty  dollars  per  month  to  work  for  him.  I  told  Mr.  Clay  I 
would  accept  the  offer  unless  he  wanted  me  whereupon  he 
said,  "John,  I  will  give  you  sixty  dollars  per  month  to  work 
for  me,"  which  offer  was  gladly  and  thankfully  accepted.  Mr. 
Jones  gave  a  dance  at  his  ranch  on  the  success  of  the  "round- 
up," and  at  its  close  received  a  purse  of  fifteen  dollars  for  my 
services,  thus  suddenly  rising  from  penury  to  opulence.  Dur- 
ing the  fall  and  winter  I  played  the  fiddle  for  many  parties,  and 
on  Sundays  rode  wild  horses  for  the  neighbors,  these  side  is- 
sues raising  my  income  to  nearly  one  hundred  dollars  pen 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  157 

month,  which  I  carefully  hoarded.  I  worked  hard  and  rode 
through  storms  looking  after  poor  stock  or  cows  with  young 
calves  when  no  other  cowboy  would  venture  on  the  range.  I 
never  left  the  ranch  during  a  storm  without  a  large  bundle  of 
hay,  which  I  gave  to  those  animals  most  needing  it.  On  sev- 
eral occasions  I  appeared  at  the  herd  in  time  to  kill  or  drive 
away  a  mountain  lion  or  disperse  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves, 
bent  on  attacking  a  calf  or  some  animal  not  able  to  defend  it- 
self. By  these  acts  of  care  and  daring  I  not  only  saved  to  Mr. 
Clay  all,  or  nearly  all,  my  hire,  but  won  the  title :  "The  most 
humane  cowboy  on  the  range."  I  was  also  accorded  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  best  broncho  rider  in  the  settlement. 

Most  people  imagine  that  any  man  astride  a  horse,  with  a 
large  sombrero  on  his  head,  pistols  in  his  belt  and  a  lariat  in  his 
hand  is  necessarily  a  cowboy,  but  this  is  a  great  mistake,  for 
there  is  as  much  difference  between  a  thorough,  practical  cow- 
boy and  the  average  person  wearing  that  title  as  there  is  be- 
tween the  ancient  "star-gazers"  and  our  modern  professors  of 
astronomy.  There  are  three  distinct  grades  of  the  cowboy: 
first,  the  range  herder,  second  the  cow-puncher  (trailman),  and 
the  cowboy  proper.  The  two  former  may  be,  and  in  many  in- 
stances are  disqualified,  by  reason  of  temperament,  to  take  the 
place  of  one  another,  and  neither  of  them  competent  to  make 
and  keep  in  order  their  necessary  accoutrements,  or  to  lasso 
and  ride  a  wild  horse ;  while  the  latter  possesses  every  faculty 
of  mind  and  natural  disposition  of  character,  to  enable  him  to 
not  only  fill  his  own  sphere  satisfactorily  but  also  enables  him 
to  assume,  and  successfully  execute  the  duties  of  a  herder  or  a 
cow-puncher.  To  become  an  all-around  successful,  "humane 
cowboy"  one  must  be  endowed  with  good  health,  strong,  wiry 
muscles  and  an  iron  will,  backed  up  by  a  large  continuity,  com- 
bativeness  and  benevolence.  Continuity  enables  him,  when 
necessary,  to  be  content  on  the  range,  and  patient  and  long- 
suffering  on  the  trail,  while  combativeness  sends  him  forth  to 
battle  with  storm  and  wild  beasts,  the  natural  enemies  of  his 
charge,  and,  having  found  an  animal  reduced  in  strength,  or 
wounded  by  wild  beasts,  benevolence  prompts  him  to  pour  in 
the  "oil  and  wine"  of  sympathy  and  proper  care ;  he  must  also 
be  intelligent,  prompt  in  emergencies,  always  loyal  to  and  scru- 
pulously honest  with  his  employer  —  I  have  seen  a  number  of 
this  style  of  cowboy,  and  such  men  will  never  be  found  in  com- 
pany with  those  who  delight  to  terrorize  and  annoy  the  people 
of  small  towns.  There  is  also  a  prevalent  false  impression  re- 
garding the  (broncho)  wild  horse.  It  being  generally  supposed 
that  one  who  is  able  to  ride  a  common,  unbroken  farm  horse 
is  equally  able  to  ride  a  broncho.  I  have  ridden  all  sorts  and 


158  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

sizes  of  wild  horse  and  am,  therefore,  prepared  to  say  that  the 
difference,  in  bucking  capacity,  between  the  broncho  and  farm 
horse  is  greater  even  than  that  existing  between  the  stick  horse 
of  my  childhood  and  the  trickiest  bicycle  of  today.  The  man- 
euvers being  displayed  on  horse  back  in  Buffalo  Bill's  Wild 
West  Show  at  Chicago  are  doubtless  clever  and  admirable,  but. 
while  I  do  not  wish  to  disparage  such  feats  of  horsemanship, 
must  say  they  are  mere  child's  play  when  compared  to  the  rid- 
ing of  a  seven-year-old  broncho.  Barnam's  trick  mule  did  not 
know  even  the  first  principles  of  bucking,  measured  by  the 
broncho's  standard.  The  difference  in  riding  a  trick  mule  and 
a  wild  horse  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  rider  knows  every  move 
his  mule  will  make,  and  braces  himself  accordingly,  but  he 
can  not  tell  anything  about  the  actions  of  a  broncho  until  after 
he  has  ridden  him,  for  he  does  not  jump  twice  in  the  same  di- 
rection, and  no  two  of  them  buck  alike. 

On  April  1st,  1878,  Mr.  Clay,  having  sold  his  ranch,  took 
me  back  to  Medicine  Bow  and  got  me  a  position  in  the  branch 
store  of  Trabing  Bros.,  wholesale  grocers,  of  Laramie.  These 
gentlemen  lived  at  Medicine  Bow,  and  conducted  in  connection 
with  the  store,  a  saloon,  restaurant,  livery  stable,  stock  ranch 
and  a  freighting  outfit.  The  government  warehouse  was  locat- 
ed here — afterward  removed  through  the  influence  of  Governor 
Thayer  to  Rock  Creek — so  that  Forts  Fetterman  and  McKin- 
ney  could  be  more  readily  supplied  with  provisions,  which 
must  be  transported  by  ox  trains,  in  consequence  of  which 
Medicine  Bow  was  usually  flooded  with  teamsters  and  other 
rough  characters.  One  evening  there  was  great  hilarity  on  the" 
street  in  front  of  the  store,  and  stepping  out  to  see  the  occasion 
of  it,  I  beheld  a  scene  that  made  my  blood  boil  with  indigna- 
tion. Mr.  Trabing  and  a  score  of  roughs  were  engaged  in 
cruelly  tormenting  two  old  drunken  men,  employees  of  the  for- 
mer. "Temperance  John" — so  called  on  account  of  his  lectur- 
ing other  people  for  drinking  when  drunk  himself — was  the 
hostler,  and  "Shu-Fly  John"  was  the  chief  cook.  They  were 
educated  men,  and  had  once  been  respected  members  of  so- 
ciety, but  whisky  blighted  their  manhood  and  brought  them 
down  to  the  level  of  brutes.  They  would  work  faithfully  for 
three  or  four  months,  then  draw  their  wages  and  go  on  a  spree. 
When  their  money  was  exhausted  they  would  pawn  their 
clothes  and  deliver  stump  speeches  for  more  rum.  The  hostler 
had  been  standing  on  the  head  of  a  barrel  lecturing  the  chef  for 
being  intoxicated,  when  someone  kicked  the  barrel  over  giving 
the  old  man  a  severe  fall.  It  was  this  inhuman  act  that  created 
the  laugh  that  brought  me  upon  the  scene,  and  when  the  roughs 
attempted  to  put  the  old  men  in  a  box  scarcely  large  enough 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  loi) 

for  one  man,  I  could  not  longer  restrain  my  pent-up  indigna- 
tion. I  threw  their  tormentors  right  and  lift  and  assisted  the 
old  men  to  rise.  I  cursed  Mr.  Trabing  for  countenancing  such 
treatment  of  his  old  servants,  and  declared  myself  able  and 
willing  to  thrash  anyone  of  the  boisterous  crowd  not  satisfied 
with  what  I  had  said  or  done.  My  challenge  was  not  accepted, 
so  the  shameful  affair  passed  without  bloodshed.  I  re-entered 
the  store  to  get  my  things,  expecting,  of  course,  to  be  dis- 
charged. Mr.  Trabing,  being  a  sensible  man  and  divining  my 
thoughts,  seized  my  hand  and  said,  "John,  your  rebuke  was 
just  and  timely,  so  you  must  not  think  of  quitting  us  on  that 
account." 

Shortly  after  the  above  event  the  bar-keeper,  one  night 
rushed  wildly  into  the  store  and  exclaimed,  "Oh,  Mr.  Trabing; 
the  teamsters  are  breaking  everything  to  pieces  in  the  saloon." 
"I  cannot  do  anything  with  the  devils,"  said  the  proprietor  re- 
signedly. Mr.  John  Smith,  the  government  agent,  remarked 
that  it  was  a  pity  to  have  the  saloon  (which  was  nicely  fur- 
nished) "again  gutted  by  those  ruffians,"  whereupon  Mr.  Trab- 
ing beseechingly  requested  me  to  go  down  to  the  saloon  and 
quiet  the  boys,  which  I  did.  He  was  so  well  pleased  with  my 
ability  to  handle  rough  men  that  he  raised  my  salary  ten  dol- 
lars per  month,  and  gave  me  full  control  over  the  saloon  busi- 
ness. I  was  greatly  elated  over,  and  justly  proud  of  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  me  by  Mr.  Trabing,  and  happily  looked  for- 
ward to  the  day  when  I  could  bring  my  Nora  to  this  village.  I 
was  patiently  waiting  for  the  foliage  to  thicken  so  I  could  slip 
back  to  Missouri,  and,  under  its  protecting  shadow,  spirit  my 
wife  away,  and  return  with  her  to  Medicine  Bow,  but  alas! 
these  fond  hopes  were  ruthlessly  swept  aside  by  the  inexorable 
laws  of  fate. 

Messrs.  Bailey,  Townsend  &  Co.,  wholesale  merchants  of 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  sent  their  chief  clerk  to  Wyoming  to  look 
after  their  interests  in  a  stock  ranch  located  near  Medicine 
Bow.  The  clerk  arrived  on  the  morning  train,  and  after  mak- 
ing arrangements  for  conveyance  to  the  ranch,  he  and  Mr. 
Trabing  came  to  the  saloon  for  their  bitters.  Turning  to  go 
out  the  clerk's  eye  fell  upon  the  head  lines  of  mv  paper  as  it 
lay  on  the  card  table,  and  shouted,  as  if  he  had  discovered  an 
old  friend,  "Hello,  who  takes  the  St.  Joseph  Gazette  in  this  far 
off  land?"  "The  barkeeper,"  replied  Mr.  Trabing.  The  clerk 
now  returned  for  a  chat  with  me.  I  had  already  recognized 
him,  owing  to  the  fact  that  I  had  paid  him  considerable  money 
for  goods  while  in  business  at  Hall's  Station,  but  feared  to  let 
myself  be  known.  Our  versatile  discourse  finally  turned  upon 
the  notables  of  St.  Joseph  and  vicinity,  and  my  heart  beat  like 


160  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

a  trip  hammer  when  the  clerk  asked,  "Were  you  acquainted 
with  Phillip  Kerlin  and  his  great  friend  Polk  Wells?"  "Yes; 
sir,  I  knew  Mr.  Kerlin  quite  well,  and  was  on  intimate  terms  with 
Mr.  Wells,  who,  I  understand,  got  into  serious  trouble  out  in 
Utah.  I  should  be  glad  to  hear  what  became  of  Polk  and  his 
lovely  wife  Nora."  "I  can,"  said  the  clerk,  "give  you  full  par- 
ticulars in  reference  to  them."  His  statement  after  rehearsing 
my  trouble  in  Utah  was  substantially  as  follows :  "Mr.  Kerlin 
and  Folk's  wife  became  so  intimate  that  Mrs.  Kerlin  objected 
to  her  husband's  attention  toward  the  young  widow;  the  af- 
fairs got  into  the  papers,  and  the  result  was  Mr.  Kerlin  killed 
his  wife  and  eldest  daughter,  and  he  himself  was  subsequently 
murdered  by  a  mob  living  in  and  around  Hall's  Station,  and 
Polk's  wife,  poor  creature,  was  driven  mad  by  the  death  of  her 
baby,  the  loss  of  her  husband,  and  this  scandal,  consequently 
she  drifted  to  Kansas  City,  where  she  entered  a  house  of  ill- 
repute,  the  only  alternative  left  the  unhappy  woman,  and  re- 
ports say  she  committed  suicide."  I  knew  the  clerk  to  be  a 
man  of  integrity  and  unquestionable  veracity,  therefore,  the 
truth  of  his  painful  story  was  not  for  a  moment  doubted,  and 
with  heavy  heart  and  sorrow  unspeakable  I  fled  from  the 
saloon,  down  to  the  river,  where  I  prostrated  myself  upon  the 
bank  and  cried  aloud,  "My  God,  My  God,  thou  hast  stricken 
me  at  last."  Again  all  the  imps  of  darkness  surrounded  me. 
holding  up  before  my  disturbed  mind  banners  on  which  were 
written  in  letters  of  living  fire  that  burned  themselves  into  my 
brain  and  heart,  maddening  the  one  and  torturing  the  other. 
Mrs.  Yazell's  prophesy  against  my  father,  and  Satan's  remind- 
er that  I  was  already  on  record  as  a  petty  thief,"  and  "you  are 
now  a  fugitive  from  justice."  Here  I  lay  for  some  time,  fer- 
vently praying  that  my  miserable  life  might  cease.  The  good 
Lord,  whose  ways  are  past  finding  out,  thought  it  best  not  to 
grant  my  prayer,  therefore,  since  I  had  not  the  courage  to  cast 
myself  into  the  Medicine  Bow,  or  to  send  a  bullet  through  a 
vital  part,  I  was  obliged  to  return  to  my  post  in  the  saloon 
heart-sick,  doubly  desperate  with  the  sense  of  self  respect  and 
hope  dead.  Life  possessed  no  charms  and  death  no  terrors  for 
me,  hence  I  decided  to  go  north  into  the  hostile  country.  Mr. 
Trabing's  outfit  was  loaded  with  his  own  goods  for  the  purpose 
of  starting  another  branch  store  near  the  new  coast,  Fort  Mc- 
Kinney,  on  Clear  Creek,  Wyoming. .  I  requested  him  to  give 
me  a  team  to  drive  and  a  position  in  the  store  when  estab- 
lished. "All  right,  John,  it  shall  be  as  you  desire,"  said  he. 

On  October  first  Ed  Callahan  and  myself  quit  Mr.  Trabing 
and  started  for  the  "states."  Leaving  the  outfit,  with  which 
we  were  traveling,  we  went  out  for  a  hunt  one  day  and  were 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  161 

attacked  by  a  band  of  Sioux  warriors.  We  dropped  seven  of 
them  from  their  horses  in  such  quick  succession  that  the  oth- 
ers, having  recognized  our  fearlessness,  and  knowing  some- 
thing of  the  deadly  capacity  of  the  Winchester  rifle,  made  a 
precipitated  ignominous  flight.  While  partaking  of  the  noon 
meal  a  band  of  elk,  having  been  scared  by  the  Indians  or  hunt- 
ers, crossed  the  narrow  valley  in  front  of  our  camp.  I  noticed 
that  there  were  some  calves  in  the  herd,  and,  determined  to 
catch  one,  mounted  a  swift  horse  and  dashed  after  the  fleeing 
elk.  Coming  up  to  them  I  cast  a  lasso,  the  loop  of  which  set- 
tled gracefully  over  the  brownie's  head.  The  calf  finding  it- 
self suddenly  checked  and  unable  to  get  free,  began  bleating 
piteously.  This  scared  my  horse  and  by  his  fearful  leaps  to  get 
away  broke  the  neck  of  my  captive.  It  was  dragged  some  dis- 
tance and  I  was  finally  compelled  to  cut  the  lasso  from  my 
saddle  before  I  could  stop  and  quiet  my  frightened  and  inex- 
perienced steed.  The  mother,  hearing  the  plaintive  cries  of  her 
babe,  dashed  back  to  its  rescue  and,  after  a  careful  examina- 
tion, became  satisfied  that  it  was  dead  and  that  I  was  the  cause 
of  it.  She  raised  her  large  brown  eyes,  stared  steadily  at  me 
for  a  moment,  then  hastened  after  the  herd.  The  sorrow  and 
suffering  that  my  Nora  had  to  endure  at  the  loss  of  our  dear 
little  Maggie  was  vividly  portrayed  in  the  face  of  that  poor 
mother  elk,  down  whose  cheeks  rolled  tears  large  as  marbles 
and  glistening  in  the  sun  like  great  balls  of  fire,  each  one  send- 
ing a  dart  of  sorrow  and  pain  into  my  heart.  I  sat  down  on 
the  grass  and  cried  like  a  whipped  child.  Some  of  the  teamsters, 
thinking  I  was  seriously  hurt,  accompanied  Callahan  to  assist 
me  to  camp,  but,  finding  me  uninjured  rebuked  me  for  not  kill- 
ing the  elk  (which  no  amount  of  money  would  have  induced 
me  to  do),  and  ridiculed  my  emotion  or  as  they  termed  it, 
"childish  sentimentality,"  and  which  would  perhaps  have  ended 
in  a  deadly  encounter  had  they  not  been  persuaded  to  desist. 

Arriving  at  Rock  Creek  I  met  Mr.  D.  R.  Clay,  my  former 
employer,  and  at  his  request  accompanied  him  home,  while 
Callahan  took  the  east  bound  train  for  Laramie.  Mrs.  Clay,  as 
before,  met  us  in  the  yard,  but  my  reception  was  quite  differ- 
ent on  this  occasion  to  what  it  was  then  as  she  cordially 
grasped  my  hand  and  exclaimed,  "Jonn»  I'm  truly  glad  to  see 
you.  I  have  missed  you  ever  so  much.  I  have  had  no  one  to 
take  my  part  and  Randal  (pointing  to  her  husband)  has  made 
me  do  all  the  work  since  you  left  us."  She  continued  in  this 
strain  until  Mr.  Clay  caught  her  in  his  arms  and  carried  her 
into  the  house,  and  I,  with  little  Mabel  clinging  to  my  neck 
followed  them.  For  a  few  days  I  was  comparatively  calm,  and, 
after  a  fashion,  enjoyed  myself  in  this  home  of  plenty  and  re- 


162  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

finement,  where  sympathy,  charity  and  mercy  dwelt  harmoni- 
ously together,  but  the  spirit  of  restlessness  asserted  itself  and 
I  longed  for  some  kind  of  employment  or  adventure.  Mr.  Clay 
still  living  on  the  old  ranch,  perceived  that  I  was  unhappy  in 
idleness,  got  Mr.  Chapman,  to  whom  he  had  sold  the  ranch  and 
stock,  to  engage  me  to  look  after  the  old  herd  of  cattle,  every 
one  of  which  I  could  point  out  without  resorting  to  the  brand 
for  identification.  A  few  days  after  taking  charge  of  the  herd 
I  went  down  the  Medicine  Bow  River  in  search  of  some  stock 
that  had  fled  before  a  storm.  About  one  mile  east  of  Medicine 
Bow  station,  on  the  river,  I  rode  up  to  a  camp  fire  around 
which  sat  three  desperate  individuals.  I  readily  recognized 
two  of  them  as  being  the  two  strangers  referred  to  at  the  battle 
on  Smoky  Hill  River,  Kansas,  with  the  negro  escort.  On  mak- 
ing myself  known  they  dragged  me  from  the  horse  and  ex- 
plained, "The  Captain  and  Callahan  are  at  the  station  making 
inquiries  concerning  your  whereabouts."  Callahan  and  these 
men  were  old  acquaintances,  and  he,  having  left  them  at  Lara- 
mie,  joined  the  party  in  the  expectation  of  kidnapping  Jay 
Gould.  Another  man  and  a  favorable  place  to  execute  theif 
design  was  needed,  so  they  came  to  Medicine  Bow  where  they 
found  both  the  place  and  the  man  (myself).  The  Captain  (for 
whom  I  know  no  other  name  )was  a  man  of  culture,  strikingly 
handsome,  and  once  a  respected  member  of  New  York  society, 
and  who,  after  being  introduced  to  me,  spoke  as  follows:  "Since 
my  comrades  here  have  so  highly  praised  your  marksmanship, 
expressed  implicit  confidence  in  your  courage,  and  have  so  en- 
thusiastically and  confidently  assured  me  of  your  willingness  to 
participate  in  such  an  undertaking  as  we  now  have  at  hand — 
here  he,  in  eloquent  terms,  expressed  his  own  opinion  of  my 
individuality — I  have  therefore,  no  hesitency  in  unfolding  my- 
self to  you.  Jay  Gould  and  Jim  Fisk,  in  a  railroad  deal,  robbed 
me  of  all  I  possessed  and  I  swore  eternal  vengeance  on  them, 
but  Fisk,  being  dead,  I  am  obliged  to  call  on  Mr.  Gould  to  set- 
tle the  account.  After  losing  my  fortune  I  moved  to  Chicago 
and  engaged  in  the  saloon  business,  but  again  lost  all  in  the 
great  fire.  I  then  secured  a  position  on  the  police  force,  where 
the  opportunities  for  practicing  dishonesty  were  so  great  and 
so  numerous  that  my  hitherto  honest  heart  became  impregnat- 
ed with  the  evil,  and  my  presence  here  is  the  logical,  the  inevit- 
able result.  I  can  find  scores  oi^nen  to  rob  stages  or  steal 
horses,  but  to  find  half  a  dozen  men  with  sufficient  courage 
and  the  requisite  desire  to  execute  the  scheme  I  now  have  in 
view  has  been  a  difficult  task,  and  I  thank  God  (as  if  the  good 
Lord  ever  mixed  up  in  such  alliances)  that  I  have,  at  last,  got 
a  crew  to  my  liking.  I  have  friends  in  the  east  to  keep  me  in- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  163 

formed  as  to  the  movements  of  Mr.  Gould,  who  will  be  along 
here  in  a  few  days  enroute  to  Utah,  where  he  intends  buying 
a  railroad.  It  is  our  intention  to  rob  his  train  and  spirit  him 
away  to  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  where  we  will  hold  him  for 
a  ransom  that  will  make  us  all  rich."  Of  course,  I  entered  into 
this  extraordinary  scheme  with  all  the  zeal  and  desperation  of 
my  young  soul.  To  rob  "the  chief  of  robbers"  was  the  grand- 
est thing  my  imagination  could  picture. 

Jacob,  an  emisary,  was  left  at  Laramie  to  telegraph  the 
Captain  when  Mr.  Gould's  train  passed  that  point.  The  tele- 
gram came  but  was  so  worded  as  to  give  the  Captain  to  under- 
stand that  he  must  not  attack  the  train  going  west.  Jacob  ar- 
rived at  Medicine  Bow  on  Mr.  Gould's  train,  which  was  heavily 
guarded,  a  sufficient  reason  for  our  not  attacking  it.  After  an 
interview  with  the  Captain,  Jacob  boarded  the  next  train  for 
Rawlins,  from  which  place  he  would  wire  the  Captain  of  Mr. 
Gould's  return.  It  was  now  proposed  that  we  wreck  the  train 
on  its  return  trip,  but  I  objected  to  this  wholesale  murder  of 
innocent  people  in  order  to  capture  Mr.  Gould.  The  Captain 
lacked  the  courage  (which  he  so  much  admired  in  other  men) 
to  attack  Mr.  Gould  while  surrounded  by  his  trusty  guards, 
therefore,  the  "kidnapping"  scheme  was  abandoned.  We  then 
went  to  Fort  Fetterman,  intending  to  rob  the  quarterly  pay 
master,  but  learned  from  the  post  sutler  that  Congress  had 
failed  to  appropriate  money  to  pay  the  soldiers.  The  Captain 
was  exceedingly  wroth  at  this  news,  and  began  to  drink.  Cal- 
lahan  finally  got  him  to  camp  and  informed  me  that  he  had 
sworn  to  kill  me  for  having  defeated  the  cherished  scheme  of 
his  life.  Toward  evening  he  got  the  opportunity,  and,  when 
raising  his  gun  to  fire,  Callahan  shouted,  "Look  out,  John." 
The  bullet  whistled  suspiciously  close  to  my  ear  and  I  turned 
upon  my  assailant.  He  fell  on  his  knees  and  cried,  "For  God's 
sake,  don't  shoot,  don't  shoot,  for  the  sake  of  my  wife  and 
children  I  beseech  you  to  spare  by  life."  Thus  I  came  near  be- 
ing murdered  for  averting  a  disaster  that  would  have  cost  Mr. 
Gould  many  thousand  dollars,  and  in  all  probability  his  life. 
This  affair  was  the  cause  of  the  party  disbanding.  Callahan 
and  myself  again  returned  to  Medicine  Bow,  while  the  Captain 
and  his  followers  went  east  and  robbed  the  stage  running  be- 
tween Cheyenne  and  Deadwood.  The  Sheriff  and  his  men 
overtook  the  Captain  and  his  comrades  on  the  North  Platte 
near  Fort  Fetterman,  and  killed  them  all  in  the  fight  that  en- 
sued. 

Early  in  the  spring,  while  working  for  Mr.  Trabing,  I 
joined  the  Odd  Fellows  at  Carbon.  Callahan  was  also  an  Odd 
Fellow,  but  denounced  the  order  for  not  assisting  him  in  a 


164 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


shameful  affair,  for  which  he  had  to  leave  home.  I  contended 
that  it  was  a  benevolent  institution  and  would  assist  a  worthy 
member  in  an  honorable  way.  'Til  bet  you  ten  dollars,"  said 
he,  "that  you  cannot  borrow  fifty  dollars  from  your  lodge." 
Previous  to  this  argument  we  had  agreed  to  return  to  Mis- 
souri, for  I  remembered  that  the  clerk  from  St.  Joseph  had  said 
that  my  wife's  death  was  only  a  rumor.  It  occurred  to  me  that 
she  might  still  be  living.  If  so,  I  would  find  her  and  again 
take  her  to  my  bosom.  Before  starting  for  Missouri  I  decided 
to  win  Callahan's  ten  dollars  and  obtain  a  traveling  card  from 


Holding   up   "Overland   Route"   office — using   Dummies 
behind  log. 

my  lodge.  To  make  sure  of  the  former  I  got  a  friend  to  write 
a  letter,  purporting  to  be  from  my  father,  and  containing  a  re- 
quest for  me  to  come  home.  I  showed  the  letter  to  Mr.  James 
Ross,  treasurer  of  the  lodge,  and  asked  him  if  I  could  borrow 
fifty  dollars.  That  night  the  lodge  voted  me  the  card  and  the 
money  and  I  returned  to  Medicine  Bow  exulting  over  my  tri- 
umph, not  so  much  for  having  won  Callahan's  money  (which 
I  never  exacted)  as  for  maintaining  the  position  I  had  taken 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  165 

in  reference  to  the  order's  benevolence,  and  readiness  to  accom- 
modate its  needy  members.  I  regard  this  transaction  as  being 
one  of  the  basest  acts  of  my  life,  though  I  intended,  at  the  time 
to  refund  the  money,  and  have  since  resolved,  but  as  yet  have 
failed  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

December  ninth  Callahan  and  I  reached  my  sister's  house 
in  Doniphan,  Kansas.     She  informed  me  that  Nora  had  con- 
ducted herself  in  a  becoming  manner ;  that  she  had  married  an 
honorable,  hard  working  young  man.     Callahan  now  learned 
my  real  name  and  the  nature  of  my  Utah  trouble,  so  he  joined 
my  sister  in  saying  that  the  best  thing  for  me  to  do  under  the 
circumstancs,  was  to  leave  the  country  without  seeing  my  wife. 
Her  happiness  being  the  chief  desire  of  my  heart,  I  concluded 
that  the  advice  was  reasonable  and  proper  and  readily  decided 
to  act  upon  it.    Accordingly  Callahan  and  I  crossed  the  river 
into  Missouri,  where  we  bought  a  couple  of  saddle  horses  and 
started  for  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  where  his  father 
lived.     As  we  passed  familiar  scenes  and  places  where  I  had 
sported  with  my  darling  Nora,  an  overwhelming  and  irresist- 
able  desire  came  upon  me  to  see  her  once  more.    So,  sending 
Callahan  on  to  Platte  City,  where  he  was  to  wait  for  me,  I 
entered  the  woods  in  which  lived  Mr.  Al  Warnica — the  man. 
living  with  my  wife,  and  whose  picture    was    photographed    on 
my  mind — and  hearing  someone  chopping  wood,  and  that  be- 
ing Mr.  Warnica's  business,  I  rode  out  to  where  the  man  was 
at  work.    I  readily  recognized  him  and  introduced  myself  by 
saying  ,"I  am  Polk  Wells,  and  have  come  to  pay  you  and  Nora 
a  friendly  visit."    He  staggered  back  a  step  or  two  and  turned 
pale  as  his  eyes  fell  on  the  double  row  of  cartridges  around  my 
waist,  and  the  pearl-handled  pistols  which  were  mischievously 
displayed,  and  from  these  he  glanced  along  the  glittering  bar- 
rel of  the  Winchester  rifle  lying  across  my  lap.  I  saw  that  he 
feared  trouble  and  hastened  to  put  him  at  ease  by  saying,  "Mr. 
Warnica,  I  respect  and  honor  you  for  caring  for  and  protecting  the 
woman  I  love,  and  hence  you  need  have  no  fear  of  harm  from 
me."    Being  thus  assured  he  pressed  my  hand  warmly  and  said, 
"Come,  let  us  go  to  the  house ;  Nora  will  be  glad  to  see  you." 
After  dinner  I  said,  "My  dear  Nora,  Mr.  Warnica  and  I 
both  love  you,  but  the  law  will  not  recognize  two  husbands  at 
the  same  time,  so  we  have  agreed  to  let  you  settle  the  matter 
by  choosing  one  of  us,  and  have  pledged  ourselves  to  abide  by 
your  decision."     An  oppressive  silence   followed.     I  hastily 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


1G7 


scanned  the  features  of  my  wife  and  Mr.  Warnica's.  The 
criminal  about  to  be  executed  could  look  no  worse  than  he 
did,  and  poor  Nora  was  the  very  picture  of  despair  and  sorrow. 
"Oh,  my  God,  help  me;  oh,  I  cannot,  I  will  not  decide  the  mat- 
ter. I  love  you  both  but  you  must  settle  the  question  between 
yourselves."  It  seemed  so  cowardly  in  us  to  cast  all  responsi- 
bility on  her  that  I  was  made  speechless  for  very  shame.  Nora 
would  not,  and  it  was  evident  that  Mr.  Warnica  felt  himself 
unequal  to  the  task,  therefore  it  devolved  upon  me  to  settle  the 
question,  which,  after  recovering  the  power  of  speech,  I  did  by 


G.  A.  Warnica  and  wife   (formerly  Mrs.  Nora  Wells), 
(His  Chief  Backers) 


taking  them  both  in  my  arms,  and,  having  invoked  the  choicest 
blessing  on  them,  registered  this  vow:  "I  now  swear  in  the 
presence  of  God  and  the  archangels,  that  I  will  go  away,  per- 
haps never  to  return ;  but  if  I  should,  neither  word  nor  act  of 
mine  shall  ever  cause  any  trouble  to  arise  between  you."  I 
then  gave  Mr.  Warnica  three  hundred  dollars  to  buy  himself  a 
team,  as  he  had  no  means  of  support  except  with  the  axe.  I 
kissed  them  both  good-bye,  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  rapidly 


168  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

away,  leaving  my  rifle  on  the  bed  where  I  placed  it  on  entering 
the  house. 

To  those  who  know  what  it  is  to  see  a  great  hope  die,  to 
have  the  happiness  that  makes  life  worth  living  blighted  by  a 
single  turn  of  the  wheel  of  time,  to  know  what  it  is  to  drop 
from  the  noonday  heights  of  joy  to  the  depths  of  darkest  mid- 
night, I  need  not  even  mention  the  weeks  and  months  of  suf- 
fering that  came  to  me  through  my  self  surrender  to  any  fur- 
ther claims  in  the  affections  of  the  woman  I  loved ;  to  those 
who  have  not  experienced  such  trials  it  would  be  useless  for 
me  to  try  to  make  it  in  any  sense  tangible.  It  is  not  in  the 
province  of  the  pen,  no  matter  how  cultivated  the  mind  or 
skillful  the  hand  may  be  that  guides  it,  portray  the  soul-kill- 
ing agony  that  I  endured.  There  are  some  things  in  life,  that 
are  harder  to  bear  than  death,  and  this  event  in  my  career  is 
one  of  them ;  and  only  those  who  have  had  a  similar  experi- 
ence, or  have  had  a  close  companionship  with  an  awful  sor- 
row, will  be  able  to  sympathize  with  me,  or  in  a  measure 
comprehend  my  suffering  during  that  dark  period  of  my  life ; 
nor  did  I  fully  realize  it  myself,  for  I  was  absolutely  uncon- 
scious for  six  weeks ;  I  remember  only  the  iron  heel  of  fate 
striking  my  heart  as  I  rode  away  from  the  little  log  cabin  on 
the  hill,  and  the  distress  of  mind  experienced  for  a  long  time 
after  my  recovery.  I  left  Mr.  Warnica's  house  on  the  fifteenth 
of  December,  1878,  and  from  that  date  until  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary, 1879,  there  is  no  record,  so  far  as  I  know,  of  my  life. 
What  I  did,  where  I  went,  or  what  became  of  my  horse  is 
mere  speculation ;  but  my  whereabouts  during  the  remaining 
two  weeks  of  that  comatose  condition  are  easily  accounted  for. 
When  I,  like  the  prodigal,  came  to  my  senses  I  was  in  a  rob- 
bers' camp  near  Vinita,  Indian  Territory. 

Callahan,  after  waiting  a  day  or  two  for  me  at  Platte  City, 
returned  to  the  neighborhood  in  which  we  had  parted  and 
there  learned  that  I  had  left  the  country.  Meeting  a  cool  re- 
ception at  his  father's  house,  he  again  left  the  parental  roof 
and  started  for  Texas.  At  Vinita  he  met  two  of  his  old  asso- 
ciates, and  joined  them  in  the  proposed  robbery  of  the  Indian 
pay  master,  who  was  expected  to  arrive  in  Vinita  some  time 
during  the  month  of  February.  He  attended  the  arrival  of  all 
trains  for  the  purpose  of  getting  papers  in  which  he  hoped  to 
learn  something  of  me.  One  evening  on  the  arrival  of  a  pas- 
senger train  on  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  Railroad,  at 
Vinita,  the  then  terminus  of  that  road,  a  commotion  in  one  of 
the  cars  attracted  the  attention  of  bystanders,  who  rushed  to 
the  windows  to  see  what  was  going  on  inside.  All  the  other 
passengers  had  left  the  car,  and  when  I  refused  to  go  the 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  169 

trainmen  undertook  to  put  me  off,  but  hastily  retreated  when 
I  drew  my  pistol.  Callahan,  being  in  the  crowd  of  sightseers 
at  the  window,  recognized  me  and  quickly  entered  the  car  and 
led  me  away  with  him  to  camp.  He  learned  afterwards  from 
the  conductor  that  I  had  boarded  the  train  at  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, and  paid  my  fare  in  money  to  the  end  of  the  road ;  that 
I  declared  Vinita  was  not  the  end,  hence  my  refusal  and  the 
conductor's  attempt  to  put  me  off  the  train  at  that  point. 

During  the  early  part  of  February,  1879,  two  United  States 
marshals  arrived  at  Vinita  in  search  of  Callahan's  two  friends, 
who  immediately  left  us  for  parts  unknown.  Some  days  later 
Callahan  and  myself  started  for  Carthage,  Missouri,  at  which 
place  we  separated,  and  I  have  never  seen  or  heard  of  him 
since.  From  Carthage  I  went  to  Joplin,  a  lead  mining  town 
possessing  various  evil  dens  that  characterized  the  mining 
camps  in  early  days  out  west.  Here  I  met  a  young  man 
named  Martin,  from  Wyoming,  and  who  gave  me  his  plans 
for  robbing  the  Moffitt  &  Sargeant  Bank  in  Joplin.  He  then 
introduced  me  to  some  of  the  city  officials  and  the  proprietor 
of  a  leading  hotel.  "These  gentlemen"  ( ?)  he  said,  "will  shield 
us  in  our  work."  The  proprietor  was  hard  pushed  for  money, 
and,  of  course,  eager  for  the  robbery,  but  continuously  re- 
marked that  it  would  "take  four  or  five  good  men  to  do  it." 
He  introduced  us  to  two  men,  whom  he  styled  "thorough- 
breds." These  fellows  introduced  me  to  other  noted  criminals 
and  they  in  turn  to  still  others.  Thus  the  introducing  business 
continued  until  I  was  presented  to  over  fifty  "thoroughbreds," 
and  at  last  I  exclaimed  (my  soul  bursting  with  disgust,  and 
my  voice  full  of  contempt),  "Good  God,  is  this  town  com- 
posed of  thieves  only?"  Tom  White,  a  beardless  boy,  was 
presented  to  me  under  the  appellation  of  "thoroughbred"  by 
half  a  dozen  different  parties,  and  he  proved  himself  worthy 
of  the  title.  Robbery,  however,  was  not  the  uppermost 
thought  of  my  mind.  The  chief  hopes  and  desire  of  my  heart 
were  circling  around  a  certain  little  log  cabin,  which  rendered 
me  silent  and  thoughtful ;  therefore,  this  reserve,  coupled  with 
the  fact  of  my  total  abstinence  from  the  use  of  liquor  and  to- 
bacco, and  from  visiting  houses  of  ill-repute,  stamped  me  as 
a  man  of  prudence  and  sagacity,  in  consequence  of  which  I 
was  chosen  leader,  and  it  devolved  upon  me  to  select  three  men 
to  help  Martin  and  myself  rob  the  bank.  Tom  White  was  my 
first  choice,  but  a  prolonged  conversation  with  him  on  the  sub- 
ject weakened  my  determination  to  act  in  the  matter.  White 
after  extolling  the  general  virtues  of  Messrs.  Moffitt  &  Sar- 
geant, said,  "They  made  this  town  and  they  are  the  poor  man's 
best  friends."  This  extraordinary  praise  about  the  proposed 


170  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

victims  coming  as  it  did  from  a  professed  and  avowed  enemy 
of  society,  so  impressed  me  with  the  enormity  of  the  con- 
templated sin  that  I  concluded  to  make  an  investigation  before 
further  committing  myself.  I  consulted  a  number  of  miners 
and  business  men,  who  united  in  confirming  White's  story  of 
the  bankers;  and  to  further  satisfy  my  conscience  and  gratify 
a  curiosity  to  see  the  men  thus  universally  praised,  decided 
to  visit  them.  I  entered  the  bank,  got  a  fifty-dollar  bill 
changed,  and  then  engaged  Mr.  Sargeant  in  conversation 
about  deposits  and  mining  stock?.  The  kindness  and  consid- 
eration with  which  he  answered  my  many  questions  made  me 
his  friend,  ami  I  left  the  bank  feeling  better  for  having  talked 
to  him.  In  the  evening  the  two  officers,  Martin,  White,  the 
proprietor  and  myself  gathered  in  a  private  room  at  the  hotel 
for  consultation.  I  briefly  informed  them  of  my  investigations 
in  consequence  of  which  I  declared  I  could  not  participate  in 
a  robbery  of  such  men.  A  painful  silence  reigned  for  a  few 
minutes,  then  the  proprietor  said,  "I  am  glad  you  have  arrived 
at  that  conclusion,  for  Moffitt  &  Sargeant  are  certainly  not 
proper  subjects  for  .such  a  diabolical  act  as  we  have  proposed 
but  I  must  have  some  money  soon  or  I  will  be  financially 
ruined."  My  companions  were  all  hard  up,  and  the  changing 
tithes  of  emotion  had  swept  their  exalted  hopes  of  riches 
against  the  rock  of  disappointment.  Depicted  on  the  coun- 
tenance of  each  member  of  the  little  group  was  an  expression 
of  sadness  that  rendered  the  scene  a  pitiable  one  indeed.  I 
thought  of  their  "hungry  wives  and  children"  with  such  a 
flood  of  sympathy  that  my  purse,  containing  over  four  hun- 
dred dollars,  of  which  they  were  not  aware,  was  instantly 
brought  out,  and  when  I  proposed  to  let  them  have  some 
money  to  carry  them  through  their  present  needs,  they  were 
not  only  surprised,  but  the  well-springs  of  hope  and  joy  made 
their  faces  radiant  with  gratitude,  transforming  them  from 
prospective  criminals  into  respectable  looking  gentlemen.  I 
gave  the  proprietor  one  hundred  dollars  and  ten  dollars  to 
each  of  the  other  men,  and  after  my  generosity  was  duly  ac- 
knowledged the  little  band  of  would-be  robbers  adjourned 
sine  die. 

Here  I  leave  the  proprietor  and  officers,  but  will  take  Mar- 
tin and  White  a  little  further  on  the  road  that  "leadeth  to  the 
valley  of  woe"  and  degredation.  From  Joplin  we  went  to  Em- 
pire and  Galena,  two  small  mining  towns  lying  on  the  line  be- 
tween Missouri  and  Kansas,  commonly  known  as  "Short 
Creek,"  but  might  be  more  appropriately  named  Sodom  and 
Gommorah.  At  Short  Creek  I  was  introduced  to  twcr  more 
officers  and  another  hotel  proprietor,  who,  like  the  Joplin  trio, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  171 


were  willing  to  have  their  friends  and  neighbors  robbed.  They 
would  keep  us  informed  as  to  the  movements  and  suspicions 
of  other  officers,  point  out  the  victims,  and,  in  case  an  arrest 
was  made,  would  do  the  necessary  swearing,  for  which  ser- 
vices they  demanded  twenty  per  cent  of  the  money  stolen.  Our 
first  victim  had  just  sold  his  claim  (in  the  new  diggings  across 
Spring  River  )for  twenty- five  hundred  dollars,  but  we  got  only 
two  hundred  dollars  of  it,  he  having  deposited  the  remainder  of 
it  in  a  bank.  Next  morning  two  innocent  young  men  were 
arrested  for  the  robbery.  Martin  got  scared  and  left  the  coun- 
try, while  White  and  I  remained  and  proposed  to  our  col- 
leagues (who  received  their  share  of  the  money)  that  we  do 
something  to  clear  those  under  arrest,  to  -rhich  they  agreed. 

The  next  day  the  proprietor  introduced  me  to  Mr.  Taylor 
who  had  seen  a  trunk  full  of  greenbacks  at  the  farm  house  of 
Snapp  brothers,  living  three  miles  northwest  of  Joplin.  Taylor 
assured  me  that  the  ladies  were  absent,  or  I  would  not  have 
agreed  to  this  robbery,  but,  on  entering  the  house  we  found 
them  all  present.  They  were,  however,  brave,  resolute  wo- 
men, having  been  schooled  to  danger  during  the  rebellion 
Their  husbands  were  officers  in  the  Confederate  army  under 
"Pap"  Price,  which  fact  was  sufficient  to  subject  their  house 
to  frequent  raids  from  the  Kansas  Jayhawkers.  We  tied  the 
men  and  seated  the  ladies  beside  them.  The  women  became 
quite  talkative  when  they  saw  no  personal  harm  was  intended, 
and  cheerily  invited  us  to  have  supper,  which  was  on  the 
table  and  had  not  yet  been  touched  by  the  family.  The  elder 
lady,  learning  we  wanted  nothing  but  money,  handed  me  a 
bunch  of  keys,  saying,  "Please,  sir,  do  not  break  anything." 
Leaving  White  to  guard  the  prisoners,  I  hastened  upstairs  in 
search  of  the  treasure  trunk,  which  I  had  no  difficulty  in  locat- 
ing, and  whose  lid  I  threw  back,  disclosing  a  till  full  of  green- 
backs, which,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  Confederate  scrip. 
Taylor,  who  did  not  enter  the  house  on  this  occasion,  had  re- 
cently accompanied  his  father  to  borrow  money  from  the 
Snapp  brothers,  hence  his  opportunity  to  see  the  trunk  full  of 
southern  money.  My  surprise  at  this  revelation  was  only 
equaled  by  my  indignation  at  having  allowed  myself  to  be  led 
into  this  sin  by  a  silly,  wild-eyed  sycophant.  I  returned  to  the 
lower  room,  and  would  have  left  the  house  a\.  once,  but  White 
insisted  on  making  a  search.  I  had  touched  nothing  except 
the  big  "Saratoga,"  and  while  White  was  examining  the  other 
trunks,  drawers  and  closets,  I  was  pleasantly  Chatting  with 
the  family.  These  good  people  had  heard  of  the  young  men 
being  under  arrest  for  the  Spring  River  robbery.  I  told  them 
that  myself  and  partners  were  the  guilty  parties,  and  request- 


172  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ed  them  to  so  inform  the  authorities,  so  that  innocent  men 
might  not  suffer.  The  gentlemen  frankly,  smilingly  assured 
me  that  my  request  should  have  a  speedy  and  extended  circu- 
lation. White  now  returned,  having  found  about  iifty  dollars 
and  a  quart  bottle  of  fine  port  wine,  used  for  sacramental  pur- 
poses, for  the  Snapps  were  Christians.  I  did  not  know  that 
he  had  the  wine  or  I  would  have  made  him  leave  it.  On  reach- 
ing Empire,  Mr.  Snapp's  horses  were  turned  loose  and  started 
toward  home.  The  fifty  dollars  were  equally  divided,  the 
wine  was  then  passed,  and  the  chief  officer,  who  had  been  a 
colonel  in  the  Union  army,  drank  a  toast,  ending  with  "Better 
luck  next  time,  boys." 

Just  before  noon  the  following  morning  the  colonel  came 
to  me  and  said,  "I  have  a  cash  job  for  you  now.  A  wholesale 
firm  in  Joplin  at  the  end  of  each  month  sends  its  agent  here  to 
collect  money  due  from  our  merchants,  and  he  will  be  here  to- 
day for  that  purpose  and  will  take  dinner  with  me.  You  and 
White  (for  Taylor  had  gone  home)  can  capture  him  on  his 
way  back  to  Joplin."  The  agent  arrived,  and  I  ate  dinner  at 
the  same  table  with  him,  went  to  the  stable,  saw  his  horse  and 
buggy,  then  White  and  myself  went  out  on  the  road  to  wait 
for  him.  When  the  buggy  came  into  view  there  were  two 
men  in  it,  but  I  recognized  one  of  them  as  the  agent,  so  we 
stepped  into  the  road  and  started  toward  them.  The  agent 
mistrusting  something  wrong,  wheeled  his  horse  from  the 
road  and  dashed  away  across  the  prairie.  That  evening,  while 
we  were  reporting  our  failure  to  capture  the  agent  the  other 
officer  came  in  and  handed  the  colonel  a  telegram.  He  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  excitedly  hissed,  "Taylor  is  under  arrest  at 
Joplin  and  has  betrayed  you  boys,  so  you  had  better  leave 
town  immediately."  White  went  out  to  see  a  friend,  and  was 
arrested  by  a  party  just  from  Joplin,  but  he  escaped.  The 
men  were  running  in  every  direction,  and  a  company  of  horse- 
men dashed  up  the  street  toward  where  the  colonel  and  I  were 
standing,  he  pressed  my  hand  affectionately,  saying,  "Good- 
bye, good-bye,  John,  take  care  of  yourself."  I  glided  around 
the  corner  of  the  old  theatre,  and  like  a  skulking  coyote  threw 
myself  on  the  ground  and  pressed  closely  to  the  foundation  of 
the  building.  I  felt  a  rock  yield  to  my  pressure,  I  pulled  it 
out,  entered  the  aperture  feet  foremost  and  replaced  it — thus 
imprisoning  myself.  I  had  scarcely  finished  my  work  before 
the  colonel,  with  half  a  dozen  men,  rushed  up  to  the  building 
and  halted  just  in  front  of  me.  Here  two  men  were  stationed 
with  orders  "not  to  relieve  their  posts  until  relieved  and  to 
arrest  every  man  that  came  along."  I  was  wedged  in  between 
two  joists,  and  could  neither  raise  up  or  turn  around.  The 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  173 

ground  was  cold  and  damp,  and  in  this  condition  I  was  com- 
pelled to  remain  for  fifty  hours  without  food  or  water.  Each 
change  of  guards  had  something  to  say  about  me.  I  was  either 
praised  in  the  highest  terms  for  bravery  atid  generosity,  or 
consigned  to  the  lowest  depths  of  hell  on  account  of  my  "dou- 
ble-dyed, red-headed  villainy."  The  former  gave  me  a  feeling 
of  pardonable  pride,  while  the  latter  caused  my  face  to  burn 
with  shame  and  my  soul  to  revolt  at  the  thought  of  being 
styled  a  thief  and  a  murderer ;  therefore,  I  resolved  to  abandon 
the  life  of  a  robber,  and  return,  if  possible,  to  the  paths  of 
honor  and  righteousness. 

About  eleven  o'clock  of  the  third  night  of  my  self-im- 
posed captivity  the  guards  were  notified  that  a  party  was  in 
hot  pursuit  of  White  and  myself  near  Chetopa,  Kansas ;  conse- 
quently they  we're  relieved  from  further  duty,  and  I  breathed 
a  sigh  of  relief  as  their  footsteps  died  away  in  the  silent  hours 
of  the  night.  I  lost  no  time  in  idle  speculation,  but  immedi- 
ately began  to  drag  myself  "from  under  the  old  theatre.  I  say 
"drag,"  but  that  does  not  express  my  painful  efforts  to  get 
out  of  that  unpleasant  situation.  The  moment  the  excitement, 
caused  by  immediate  danger,  left  me,  cramps  seized  on  every 
fibre  and  muscle  in  my  body,  and  for  two  hours  I  wrestled 
with  an  invisible  foe  that  seemed  bent  on  my  destruction, 
but,  God  be  praised,  I  got  the  better  of  the  contest  and  final- 
ly struggled  to  my  feet,  and,  like  Lot  of  old,  fled  as  rapidly 
as  possible  from  the  presence  of  Sodom  and  Gommorah. 

While  walking  up  the  railroad  track,  a  few  miles  south 
of  Doniphan,  Kansas,  I  chanced  to  look  back  and  saw  two 
men  following  me;  one  of  them  White  and  the  other  a  son  of 
a  prominent  physician  of  Atchison.  I  told  the  young  doctor 
where  he  could  find  the  roots  he  was  in  search  of,  and  so  we 
continued  our  walk  up  the  road  together.  At  a  little  farm 
house  on  the  roadside  three  large  dogs  came  out  and  took  a 
stand  on  the  track  as  if  they  would  contest  the  right  of  way. 
Not  wishing  to  show  my  pistols,  I  picked  up  some  stones  and 
threw  them  at  the  dogs.  A  young  man,  plowing  in  the  field, 
drove  up  to  the  fence  and  said,  "If  you  tramps  hurt  those  dogs 
I'll  horsewhip  every  one  of  you."  "Come  over  and  do  it,  any- 
how," said  White.  He  did  come  over,  but  the  latter's  blows 
fell  with  such  rapid  precision  of  aim  that  the  young  granger 
fled  to  the  house.  His  mother  met  him  in  the  yard  with  a 
double-barreled  shotgun,  which  he  seized  and  discharged  at 
us  (several  shot  striking  my  breast,  but  were  too  small  for 
serious  damage),  whereupon  White  drew  his  pistol.  I  sprang 
forward  to  prevent  his  shooting,  but  succeeded  only  in  di- 
recting his  aim.  At  the  crack  of  the  pistol  the  old  woman  fell 


174  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

as  if  dead,  but,  as  was  afterward  shown,  was  not  touched  by 
the  bullet.  A  boy  was  dispatched  to  Atchison  to  notify  the 
officers  of  the  affair.  Mr.  Phil  Duncan,  city  marshal,  and  Mr. 
Wm.  Wily,  sheriff  of  the  county,  started  out  after  us.  We 
crossed  the  bluffs  to  the  wagon  road,  leading  from  Atchison  to 
Doniphan,  on  which  we  met  the  sheriff  and  marshal.  They 
came  around  the  curve  in  the  road  so  swiftly,  yet  noiselessly, 
that  they  were  right  at  us  before  we  saw  them.  "Howdy, 
boys,"  said  the  sheriff,  good  naturedly.  "Has  either  of  you," 
he  continued,  "got  a  pistol?"  "No,  sir,"  said  I.  The  marshal 
sprang  lightly  out  of  the  buggy,  and  as  he  came  around  the 
rear  end  I  covered  him  with  a  pair  of  large  pistols,  while 
White  held  another  pair  on  the  sheriff.  I  ordered  Mr.  Dun- 
can and  the  young  doctor  to  get  into  the  buggy  and  return 
to  the  city.  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  but  an  hour 
later  the  officers  returned  with  a  hundred  men,  armed  with 
Winchester  rifles,  pitchforks,  hay-knives,  bull  dogs,  etc.  The 
party  halted  near  where  we  were  hid  in  the  bushes,  and  while 
consulting  as  to  the  best  place  to  route  us,  John,  Joe  and 
Mark  Taylor  (three  brave  and  honorable  men,  who  were 
raised  on  a  farm  adjoining  my  father's,  and  consequently 
knew  me  from  infancy),  rode  into  the  crowd  and  the  latter 
gentleman  addressed  the  sheriff  thus:  "Are  you  positive  that 
Polk  Wells  is  one  of  the  parties?"  "Quite  sure  of  it,"  replied 
the  officer.  Then  Mr.  Taylor,  after  indulging  in  some  very 
complimentary  remarks  about  myself  and  family,  said,  "I'll 
never  believe  Polk  guilty  of  shooting  a  woman."  Mr.  Joe 
Taylor  then  spoke  very  disparagingly  of  the  woman  and  her 
son,  and  the  crowd,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  turned  their 
horses  and  rode  rapidly  away.  The  old  woman,  at  the  pre- 
liminary trial  of  the  doctor,  claimed  she  was  shot,  but  re- 
fused to  show  the  wound ;  she,  however,  had  the  grace  to 
join  the  doctor  in  exonorating  me. 

White  and  I  reached  Lawrence  without  further  interfer- 
ence, and  one  night  while  sitting  on  the  railroad,  near  the 
depot,  mapping  out  our  course,  three  tramps  joined  us.  Pres- 
ently two  officers  came  along  and  arrested  the  party.  I 
leaped  into  the  darkness  and  ran  some  distance,  and,  think- 
ing White  at  my  heels,  stopped  to  congratulate  him  on  our 
escape,  when  a  heavy  hand  was  laid  on  my  shoulder  with 
"Oh,  you  rascal,  it  takes  a  good  one  to  beat  me  running."  "I1» 
does,  ah !"  said  I,  and  with  a  heavv  revolver  I  dealt  the  man 
a  blow  across  the  nose  that  stretched  him  on  the  ground  at 
my  feet.  Next  morning  I  returned  to  the  city  and  bought  a 
paper  giving  an  account  of  this  event.  "The  tramps,"  it  said, 
"were  taken  to  jail,  but  the  other  two  scamps  escaped  by 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  17.3 

slugging  one  of  the  officers."  Thus  White  and  I  were  sep- 
arated and  he  was,  the  last  I  heard  of  him,  serving  a  ten 
years'  sentence  in  the  penitentiary  at  Jefferson  City,  Missouri. 

Each  of  the  various  papers  that  came  to  Lawrence,  as 
well  as  those  published  there,  contained  an  article  about  me. 
which  varied  in  detail  according  to  the. fancy  or  imagination 
of  the  writer.  When  I  entered  a  barber  shop  to  get  shaved  a 
number  of  gentlemen  were  discussing  the  exploits  of  Polk 
Wells,  and  while  I  was  yet  in  the  chair,  the  officer,  whom  I 
struck,  came  in  and  the  men  commenced  teasing  him  for  al- 
lowing a  tramp  to  get  the  better  of  him.  "That  fellow,"  he 
replied,  "is  no  tramp.  He  has  taught  me  a  lesson  I  shall  not 
soon  forget.  When  I  chase  another  man  in  the  dark,  I'll  have 
to  be  drunker  than  I  was  last  night."  I  did  not  care  to  hear 
any  more,  and  so  got  out  of  the  house  and  went  to  my  room 
in  the  Cincinnati  hotel.  The  proprietor,  Mr.  Beebush,  treated 
me  kindly,  and  when  I  inquired  about  work,  said  he  could 
get  me  a  job  with  his  friend,  Mr.  John  Medsker,  one  of  the 
best  and  wealthiest  farmers  in  Douglas  County.  When  Mr. 
Medsker  came  in  I  was  duly  presented,  accepted  and  taken 
out  to  his  paradise  of  a  farm  and  home,  about  eighteen  miles 
southwest  of  Lawrence.  I  worked  hard  in  the  fields  and  did 
chores  about  the  house  that  no  other  hired  man  had  ever  con- 
descended to  do.  I  arose  early,  built  a  fire  in  the  cook  stove, 
put  on  a  teakettle  full  of  water,  and  frequently  helped  to 
wash  the  supper  dishes,  for  which  services  I  was  amply  rewarded 
by  the  musical  voice  and  bewitching  smiles  of  the  farmer's 
beautiful  daughter,  Jane,  who  could  ride  wild  horses,  milk 
cows,  plow  corn,  and  manipulate  the  ivory  on  a  grand  piano 
equal  to  any  of  her  city  cousins.  Mr.  Medsker  and  family 
were  Dunkards,  and,  of  course,  very  plain  folks,  and  I  regu- 
larly attended  church  with  them;  hence  Jane  and  I  soon  be- 
came good  friends,  so  much  so  that  I  had  about  concluded 
to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife,  when  one  morning,  while  milking, 
a  refractory  cow  kicked  a  bucket  of  milk  in  my  face,  I  dis- 
graced myself  by  hurling  uncomplimentary  and  untheological 
expressions  at  the  bovine  race ;  so  on  Sunday  Jane  refused 
my  company  to  church.  Perhaps  my  story  would  end  here 
had  it  not  been  for  that  vicious  cow,  but,  since  God  works  in 
mysterious  ways  His  purposes  to  accomplish,  I  must  con- 
tinue the  narrative. 

On  the  fourth  of  July  I  attended  a  picnic  dance,  after 
which  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  ride  home  in  a  four-horse 
wagcm.  Though  the  moon  and  stars  were  shining  brightly 
and  the  sky  clear,  it  was  quite  dark  on  the  creek  bottoms.  We 
had  fairly  gotten  into  the  timber  when  something  glided 


176 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

across  the  road  in  front  of  our  team.  There  were,  besides 
myself,  six  couple  in  the  wagon,  and  all,  except  Miss  Harvey, 
heroine  of  this  event,  were  confident  that  the  solitary  figure 
(probably  a  cow)  was  a  robber.  Some  declared  there  were 
two,  while  others  insisted  there  were  more  and  that  all  had 
guns.  It  is  surprising  how  the  imagination  will  at  night  fill 
the  woods  with  savage  beasts  and  more  savage  human  beings 
and  people  the  element  with  spooks  and  hob-goblins.  For*- 
tunately  it  was  not  far  through  the  timber,  otherwise  we 
should  have  had  a  panic,  as  two  of  three  of  the  girls  clutched 
at  the  reins  to  stop  the  team  and  begged  to  go  back.  "Oh !" 
said  one,  "if  it  should  be  that  awful  Polk  Wells  and  his  part- 
ners, they  will  kill  every  one  of  us."  At  the  mention  of  my 
name  a  wave  of  terror  spread  over  the  youngsters,  and  the 
driver  was  half  inclined  to  turn  back,  but  Miss  Harvey  laughed 
at  him,  taunted  him  with  cowardice,  and  declared  she  was  "not 
afraid  of  Polk  Wells."  "Nor  me,  either,"  said  I,  and  to  quiet 
the  girls  I  got  out  and  walked  ahead  of  the  team  until  through 
the  timber.  Some  of  the  young  people  were  very  bitter  to- 
ward me,  but  Miss  Harvey,  the  belle  of  the  neighborhood, 
defended  me  on  every  point  of  attack,  and,  judging  from  her 
remarks,  I  was  in  her  estimation  a  much  abused  man,  and 
an  ideal  of  manly  courage  and  physical  perfection.  She  was 
correct. 

About  the  first  of  August  I  quit  Mr.  Medsker  and  started 
for  Missouri.  Some  miles  south  of  Lawrence  I  stopped  to 
stay  over  night  with  a  farmer,  and  after  supper  was  taken  into- 
the  front  room  and  left  alone  while  the  gentleman  and  his 
wife  did  the  evening  chores.  Presently  two  bright-eyed, 
sweet-faced  little  girls  (twins)  three  or  four  years  old,  came 
into  the  room  and  got  into  an  altercation  over  their  playthings. 
Each  seized  the  limb  of  the  old  rag  doll  and  began  pulling 
and  stamping  their  little  feet  with  all  their-  might.  I  expected 
to  see  the  doll  ripped  asunder.  Not  so,  however,  for  the 
mother  foresaw  that  "Judy"  would  be  the  instigator  of  the 
bitter  strife  and  had,  consequently,  done  her  work  well.  She 
heard  the  babies  quarreling  and  came  in  to  quiet  them. 
"Naughty  girls,"  she  said,  "you  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  act 
that  way  before  a  gentleman — such  conduct  would  I  sup- 
posed be  proper  at  other  time — if  you  don't  behave  better,  I 
shall  give  you  to  Polk  Wells."  "Oh,  mamma,"  cried  the  ter- 
rified children,  "we'll  be  ever  so  nice  if  you  won't  give  us  to 
that  awfully  bad  man."  The  lady  returned  to  her  work  in 
the  kitchen  and  the  babies  sat  down  on  the  floor  and  were 
soon  as  playful  and  loving  to  one  another  as  kittens.  I 
watched  them  a  few  minutes,  then  called  them  to  me,  took 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  177 

them  on  my  knees,  gave  each  one  fifty  cents  in  silver  to  buy 
a  china  doll,  and  told  them  not  to  be  afraid  of  Polk  Wells, 
that  he  loved  little  girls  very  much  and  would  do  anything 
for  them.  "Do  you  weally  fink  so?"  asked  one  of  the  little 
things.  "Yes,  I  am  sure  he  would,"  said  I,  then  drawing  them 
close  to  my  breast,  rocked  them  to  sleep. 

How  strangely  are  the  emotions  of  men  altered  by  a 
change  in  their  condition.  The  compliments  showered  upon 
me  by  Miss  Harvey,  the  accomplished  and  beautiful  young 
lady,  raised  me  almost  to  the  seventh  heaven  of  glory,  but. 
while  nursing  these  dear  children,  I  floundered  in  the  lowest 
depths  of  shame  and  remorse  at  having  my  name  used  as  a 
cudgel  to  coerce  little  children  into  submission  and  obedience 
Parents  who  resort  to  such  means  to  control  their  children 
ought  to  be  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  cruelty  to  animals,  or 
to  the  insane  asylum  for  incompetency  to  raise  a  family. 

The  next  day,  while  wandering  about  the  streets  of  Law- 
rence, I  was  arrested  along  with  three  other  young  men.  I 
knocked  my  captor  down,  mounted  a  good  horse,  on  which  I 
made  my  escape,  and  which  I  turned  loose  after  riding  a  few 
miles.  Arriving  at  Doniphan,  the  officers  got  after  me  again 
I  crossed  the  river  into  Missouri,  determined  to  see  my  wife 
I  reached  her  brother-in-law's  house  after  dark,  and,  as  it 
was  raining,  concluded  to  stay  over  night  there.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  house  was  surrounded  by  a  score  of  men,  who  had 
come  to  capture  me  dead  or  alive,  but  they  lay  all  night  in 
the  rain  and  allowed  me  to  leave  the  house  without  even 
showing  themselves.  When  I  reached  Mr.  Warnica's  house 
(the  little  log  cabin  on  the  hill)  his  brother-in-law,  Fred 
Crandall,  was  there.  He  was  an  enemy  of  mine,  was  in  col- 
lusion with  my  pursuers  and  had  come  to  Mr.  Warnica's  in 
the  hope  of  inducing  Nora  to  betray  me  into  their  hands.  Mr. 
Warnica  informed  me  of  my  danger,  and  advised  me  to  leave 
immediately.  Nora  brought  out  my  Winchester  rifle,  saying 
"Take  this  with  you  and  use  it  on  those  who  seek  to  injure 
you,  and  come  back  in  a  few  days."  I  took  the  gun,  kissed 
Al  and  Nor-a  good-bye,  walked  past  Mr.  Crandall  (who  had 
the  impudence  to  raise  his  hat  to'me),  disappeared  in  the 
woods.  Ten  minutes  later  I  stopped  in  the  bushes,  near  the 
road,  which  turned  into  the  head  of  a  deep  hollow.  The  rain 
had  so  softened  the  ground  that  I  did  not  hear  the  rapidly  ap- 
proaching horseman  until  he  was  within  ten  paces  of  me. 
This  was  Crandall,  who,  when  my  gun  was  leveled  at  his 
breast,  shouted,  "Polk,  for  God's  sake  don't  shoot.  I  am  your 
friend."  This  Judas  was  very  explicit  in  directing  me  how  to 
evade  my  would-be  captors.  I  listened  patiently  to  him  and 


178  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

(not  wishing  to  let  him  know  that  Al  and  Nora  had  apprised 
me  of  his  treachery)  agreed  to  follow  his  instructions.  He- 
rode  down  the  hollow  and  I  crossed  the  road  as  if  intending 
to  act  upon  his  advice,  but,  instead  of  doing  so,  recrossed  it. 
taking  care  to  leave  no  tracks,  and  took  a  stand  on  the  point 
of  a  high  bluff.  Presently  Crandall,  with  a  dozen  men,  re- 
turned, and  after  pointing  to  the  spot  where  he  saw  me,  said. 
"We'll  just  about  overtake  him  at  the  big  spring."  The  party 
dashed  on  across  the  hill,  and  this  was  the  last  I  saw  of  it.  I 
returned  to  the  "cabin"  that  same  evening  in  time  to  take 
supper  with  Al  and  Nora.  It  was  agreed  that  I  should  go 
back  into  the  country  and  work  on  a  farm  until  they  could 
settle  up  their  affairs,  when  we  would  leave  the  country  to- 
gether. In  accordance  with  this  plan  I  went  out  near 
Plattsburg,  Missouri,  and  commenced  work  for  an  old  farmer 
who  came  home  drunk  one  evening,  and,  as  I  entered  the  din- 
ing room  in  response  to  the1  supper  bell,  began  abusing  me. 
"Why,"  said  he,  "I  can  do  more  work  in  one  hour  than  you 
have  done  in  three  days."  I  had  worked  very  hard,  conse- 
quently this  unjust  imputation  stung  me  deeply,  and  next 
morning  notified  the  farmer  I  must  quit  him,  whereupon  he 
said,  "Mr.  Weber,  I  thought  you  had  better  sense  than  to  get 
angry  at  anything  a  drunken  man  might  say."  "I  have,  sir," 
said  I,  "when  at  myself,  but  the  fact  is  I  sometimes  become 
deeply  intoxicated  with  melancholy,  and,  should  you  attack 
me  as  you  did  last  night,  while  laboring  under  its  influence 
the  result  might  be  serious ;  therefore  it  is  best  for  me  to  leave 
before  harm  is  done." 

I  next  applied  to  "Uncle  Bobby"  Scarce,  the  wealthiest 
farmer  in  Clinton  County,  for  work.  He  looked  me  full  in 
the  lace  for  a  moment,  then  said,  "My  young  sir,  you  have  a 
very  bad  eye,  and  I  doubt  if  you  want  work."  In  all  my 
travels  and  intercourse  with  men,  this  was  the  only  one  who 
ever  doubted  my  integrity.  The  grandsons  of  St.  Jude  were 
arraigned  on  a  charge  of  aspiring  to  the  throne  of  David,  but 
on  showing  their  hands  hardened  with  toil,  were  dismissed 
by  the  emperor  as  unworthy  subjects  of  his  fierce  anger.  So 
the  calloused  lumps  at  the  base  of  my  fingers,  which  on  re- 
quest I  showed  to  the  sagacious  old  farmer,  proved  to  be  a 
passport  to  his  favorable  consideration,  and  I  was  employed 
and  set  to  work  facing  fence  posts.  At  the  time  appointed 
I  quit  Mr.  Scarce  and  returned  to  the  log  cabin.  Al  and  Nora 
were  overjoyful  at  the  turn  matters  had  taken  since  my  de- 
parture. "We  need  not  emigrate  now,  unless  we  want  to," 
said  Al. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

In  August,  1862,  my  step-brothers  returned  from  Price's 
armv  on  a  recruiting  expedition.  The  commander,  Gen.  James 
Craig  Home,  of  the  militia  at  St.  Joseph,  heard  of  their  de- 
sign and  sent  a  company  to  Rushville  to  capture  them.  The 
boys  anticipated  such  a  move,  and  hid  themselves  in  the  woods, 
and  it  devolved  upon  me  to  carry  them  provisions.  Joe,  hand- 
ing me  a  double-barreled  pistol,  said,  "In  case  the  soldiers  pre- 
vent you  coming  to  us,  fire  it  off  and  we  will  know  what  td 
do."  The  soldiers  surrounded  the  town,  but  the  boys  were 
outside  the  line,  and  at  dark  I  started  to  them  with  a  basket 
of  victuals  and  a  pot  full  of  genuine  coffee — :I  say  genuine,  for 
most  people,  and  many  of  them  wealthy,  were  using  parchec* 
rye  for  making  coffee.  Just  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  I 
entered  the  paw-paw  bushes,  and  was  tripping  along  the  path 
that  led  into  the  graveyard  hollow,  in  which  the  boys  were 
hiding,  when  I  was  seized  by  the  arm  and  commanded  to  sur- 
render. There  were  four  of  my  captors,  and  while  they  were 
devouring  the  contents  of  my  basket  and  coffee  pot  I  learned 
from  their  conversation  that  a  messenger  had  been  sent  to 
town  for  information  concerning  the  whereabouts  of  the  Fry 
boys,  and  the  best  plan  for  effecting  their  capture.  I  denied 
my  knowledge  of  them,  but  the  note  in  the  basket,  from  mother 
to  Joe,  proved  me  a  conscious  liar.  Then  I  was  threatened 
with  punishment  if  I  did  not  tell  where  they  were,  but  I  re- 
fused so  emphatically  to  do  so  that  they  became  angry  and 
hung  me  up  to  a  limb  of  a  tree.  In  a  few  seconds,  which 
seemed  hours,  I  was  let  down  with  the  remark,  "I  think  he'll 
tell  now  where  they  are."  "I'd  see  you  d — d  first,"  was  my 
earnest  reply.  Again  I  was  suspended,  and  again  let  down  to 
hear  "Tell  us  where  the  Fry  boys  are,  or  we'll  leave  yon 
hanging  to  that  limb."  Many  thoughts  flashed  through  my 
mind,  and  I  mentally  remarked,  "This  is  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  wreak  vengeance  on  Joe  for  his  many  cruelties  to 
Ruth  and  myself,"  but  the  thought  of  treason  suppressed  the 
idea  as  soon  as  it  was  formed.  Whatever  I  might  personally 
do  to  Joe,  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  betraying  him  into 
the  hands  of  our  common  enemy.  The  halter  had  hurt  my 


180 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

neck  so  that  several  minutes  elapsed  before  I  could  speak  in- 
telligently. "If  you  will  untie  me,  I  will,"  said  I,  "take  you  to 
where  the  boys  are.  I  have  no  special  love  for  them ;  they  are 
only  my  step-brothers,  and  used  to  treat  me  meanly."  This 
frank  statement  was  known  to  be  correct  by  two  of  my  cap- 
tors, who  had  been  neighbors  to  my  Nora's  father,  Mr.  Wil- 
son, therefore  they  readily  agreed  to  my  proposition.  1  was 
no  sooner  set  at  liberty  than  I  fired  .my  pistol  over  the 
heads  of  the  men,  who  sprang  for  their  guns,  setting  against 
a  tree,  while  I  dashed  down  the  hill  through  paw-paw  bushes 
and  briars.  The  boys  heard  the  shot  and  made  good  their 
escape ;  but  instead  of  returning  to  the  regular  army,  they 
stopped  by  the  wayside  and  joined  the  redoubtable  Quantrel. 
The  militia  was  ordered  back  to  St.  Joseph  that  same  night, 
but  before  departing  I  was  roundly  "cussed"  by  Captain  Ennis 
Thomas,  who  said  I  was  a  "fit  representative  of  Balaam's  ad- 
monisher." 

Two  of  the  men  helping  to  hang  me  were  with  the  jay- 
hawkers  who  robbed  my  father's  house  during  the  war,  and 
shortly  after  the  fight  at  Geary  City  they  met  my  old  friend. 
Philip  Kerlin,  at  Doniphan,  Kansas,  and  hung  him  up  three 
times  because  he  would  not  cheer  Jim  Lane.  These  men,  also 
Mr.  Kerlin,  at  the  close  of  the  war  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hall's  Station,  and  the  former,  while  I  was  doing  business 
there,  inaugurated  a  sort  of  "White  Cap"  organization,  which, 
for  convenience  I  will  designate  as  "The  Mob" ;  and  which 
numbered  but  six  men,  who  were  my  best  customers.  Mr. 
Kerlin  also  patronized  me,  and  occasionally  met  members  of 
"The  Mob"  at  my  house,  and,  when  under  the  influence  of 
liquor,  roundly  abused  them  for  their  cruel  treatment  of  him 
at  Doniphan,  which  resulted  in  stiffening  his  neck  so  that  he 
was  obliged  to  turn  the  whole  body  in  order  to  turn  his  head. 
On  such  occasions  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  I  pre- 
vented bloodshed  between  them ;  but  while  I  was  in  the  moun- 
tains they  killed  himi  in  his  cornfield. 

The  Henry  boys,  friends  and  neighbors  of  Mr.  Kerlin. 
and  Charles  Hinman,  a  friend  of  "The  Mob,"  got  into  an 
altercation  over  a  water  line.  The  latter  being  caught  in  the 
•  act  of  breaking  the  dam,  was  promptly  shot  by  one  of  the 
former.  The  rage  of  "The  Mob"  now  knew  no  bounds.  It 
accused  Mr.  Kerlin  of  inciting  young  Henry  to  shoot  Hinman. 
and  declared  he  must  now  hang  until  "dead,  dead."  I  was  on 
the  most  intimate  terms  with  the  leader  of  "The  Mob/'  who. 
one  evening,  said  to  me,  "Polk,  we  are  going  to  hang  old 
stiff  neck  (Mr.  Kerlin)  tonight,  and  we  want  you  to  go  with 
us."  I  did  not  say  I  would  go,  but  censured  Mr.  Kerlin  and 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  181 


expressed  the  belief  that  he  was  responsible  for  the  shooting, 
which  the  chief  construed  as  equivalent  to  saying  I  would 
accompany  him.  I  put  on  my  pistols,  rode  out  to  Mr.  Kerlin's 
house,  notified  him  of  the  proposed  attack  on  his  life,  and  re- 
mained with  him  all  night.  The  chief  called  for  me,  as  he  said 
he  would.  Nora  told  him  where  I  was,  and  advised  him  to 
abandon  his  wicked  purpose  and  let  the  law  handle  Mr.  Ker- 
lin.  H'e  concluded,  and  correctly  too,  that  I  had  gone  to  Mr. 
Kerlin's  for  the  purpose  of  defending  him,  therefore  the  mat- 
ter was  hushed  up.  "The  Mob,"  however,  now  turned  its  de- 
structive battery  against  me,  and,  having  a  controlling  influ-* 
ence,  both  political  and  social,  in  the  neighborhood,  had  no 
difficulty  in  instituting  an  effectual  boycott  on  my  business, 
and  rough  characters  were  incited  to  create  disturbances  at 
my  house.  I  was  almost  killed  one  day  by  a  burly  ruralist. 
who  struck  me  on  the  head  with  a  heavy  railroad  pick.  This 
frightened  Nora,  and  she  persuaded  me  to  sell  out  the  busi- 
ness and  buy  a  farm.  I  did  so,  but  bought  a  lawsuit  with 
the  farm,  and  through  a  technicality  in  law  not  only  lost  the 
land,  but  everything  else  I  had,  and  was  compelled  to  labor 
daily  in  order  to  support  my  little  family,  as  previously  stated. 

On  my  return  to  Missouri  from  Utah,  the  news  got  out 
that  I  had  come  back  for  the  purpose  of  killing  all  those  im- 
plicated in  the  murder  of  my  friend,  Philip  Kerlin.  I  made 
no  such  threats,  but  did  say,  however,  that  I  would  endeavor 
to  bring  the  guilty  parties  to  justice.  "The  Mob"  was  fear- 
fully exercised  on  account  of  this  declaration,  and  took  occa- 
sion to  circulate  all  sorts  of  evil  reports  about  me.  Every 
crime  committed  within  fifty  miles  of  Hall's  Station  was 
charged  to  my  account,  and  rewards  (emanating  from  their 
prolific  brains)  for  my  capture  ranged  from  one  hundred  to 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  excitement  caused  by  these  evil 
reports  and  fictitious  rewards,  like  the  dew  Hron  before  the 
morning  sun,  melted  away  under  the  decisive  test  of  an 
honest  investigation,  which  was  made  by  Mr.  William  Mur- 
ren,  of  Rushville,  who  was  my  staunch  friend,  and  who  would 
not  believe  me  guilty  of  a  dishonorable  act,  no  matter  who 
made  the  accusation.  Mr.  Murren  published  an  account  of 
his  investigations,  which  served  to  not  only  silence  "The 
Mob,"  but  enlist  public  sympathy  in  my  behalf.  This  was 
the  "glad  tidings  of  great  joy"  I  received  on  the  day  of  my 
return  from  Uncle  "Bobby"  Scearce's,  from  Al  and  Nora,  with 
whom  I  was  permitted  to  remain  unmolested.  We  lived  hap- 
pily together,  and  were  made  welcome  wherever  we  chose  to 
go,  even  exchanging  visits  with  members  of  "The  Mob." 

I  could  not,  however,  meet  either  of  these  men  without 


182  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

seeing  in  his  countenance  the  perpetrator,  or  accessory,  of  the 
foul  murder  of  my  friend,  which  kept  alive  the  determination 
to  see  that  each  got  his  just  deserts  before  the  law.  I  soon 
gained  the  confidence  of  a  member  of  one  of  the  families  of 
"The  Mob,"  who,  one  day  in  a  fit  of  anger,  said  to  the  head 
of  the  family  and  in  the  presence  of  the  chief  of  "The  Mob/' 
"Poke  Wells  will  soon  have  you  and  your  gang  in  the  peni- 
tentiary." This  was  sufficient  for  them  to  know  that  I  was  IP 
possession  of  all  the  facts  concerning:  their  crime,  therefore 
"The  Mob"  resolved  to  at  once  suppress  or  extinguish  me. 
Hitherto  the  accusations  against  me  were  comparatively  in- 
significant to  what  "The  Mob"  now  brought  forth.  Its  move- 
ments became  more  marked  and  unrelenting  in  purpose  and 
its  members  (men  of  wealth),  being  actuated  by  self-preser- 
vation, now  vouched  for-  the  three  hundred  dollars  reward  of- 
fered for  my  arrest  by  their  chief.  One  day  a  man  was  robbed 
near  the  "log  cabin."  The  robber  looked  very  much  like  me 
and  unfortunately  had,  at  the  time  of  the  robbery,  one  of  my 
pistols.  "The  Mob"  got  hold  of  the  victim — who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  a  gang  of  horse  thieves,  was  riding  a  stolen  mule  when 
robbed,  and  had  in  his  pocket  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the 
very  man  who  robbed  him — and  induced  him  to  swear  out  a 
warrant  for  my  arrest.  This  was  the  first  legal  document 
procured  against  me.  The  sheriff,  Fay  Spencer,  being  well 
acquainted  with  my  father's  family,  believed  it  to  be  a  "ma- 
licious conspiracy,"  and  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
the  matter,  but  allowed  "The  Mob"  to  retain  the  warrant,  and 
told  one  of  its  members  to  make  the  arrest  if  he  wanted  to. 
"The  Mob,"  failing  to  enlist  the  sheriff  in  its  cause,  finally 
secured  the  services  of  two  policemen  of  St.  Joseph  to  assist 
in  my  capture  and  overthrow.  I  was  promptly  notified  of 
this  combination,  in  consequence  of  which  I  decided  to  make 
my  home  for  a  time  in  the  woods.  While  sitting  one  evening 
at  the  west  entrance  to  my  cave,  waiting  for  Al  and  Nora  to 
arrive  with  my  supper,  a  beautiful  black  shepherd  dog  came 
to  me.  I  regarded  this  as  a  good  omen,  and  therefore  named 
my  mute  but  intelligent  friend  "Luck."  The  faithfulness  of 
the  dog  to  his  master  is  too  well  known  to  need  recounting 
here.  I  may  say,  however,  that  "Luck"  became  at  once  my 
companion,  protector  and  messenger.  Through  his  fidelity 
and  sagacity  I  was  enabled  to  inform  Al  and  Nora  of  my 
movements. 

Bill  Norris,  on  moving  into  our  neighborhood,  assiduous- 
ly courted  my  company.  There  was  something  in  the  man 
that  affected  me  strangely  and  gave  him  power  to  exert  an 
evil  influence  over  me;  and  notwithstanding  the  repeated  en- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  183 

treaties  of  Al  and  Nora  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  him,  I 
yielded  to  his  persuasions,  and  our  first  act  was  .the  robbing 
of  a  store  at  DeKalb,  Missouri.  He  now  proposed  that  we 
rob  the  express  train.  I  agreed  to  do  so,  and  went  to  Atchi- 
son  to  make  some  investigations  in  the  matter.  While  there 
I  called  on  a  friend  who  had  frequently  sent  me  word  to 
visit  him.  He  was,  and  is  yet,  a  prominent  man,  and  his 
business  with  me  "was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord."  Of 
course  I  agreed  to  his  liberal  offer  to  share  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars with  me,  whereupon  he  introduced  me  to  the  conductor 
from  whom  he  was  to  get  the  desired  information.  I  was  then 
shown  about  the  train  I  was  to  rob.  This  train  was  called 
"The  Plug."  and  its  only  business  was  to  transfer  passengers 
from  the  Union  depot  in  Atchison  across  the  river  to  Paw  Paw 
Junction,  on  the  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph  &  Council  Bluffs 
railroad.  It  made  two  trips  each  night  to  the  Junction,  one 
at  eleven  o'clock  to  meet  the  north-bound  express  and  the 
other  to  meet  the  south-bound  passenger.  These  two  trains 
met  at  Hall's  Station,  thus  allowing  "The  Plug"  barely  time 
to  make  its  first  trip  and  return  in  time  to  meet  the  passenger  ; 
consequently  the  treasure  received  from  the  first  train  (which 
was  to  bring  the  money  we  were  waiting  for)  was  kept  in  the 
little  iron  safe.  After  completing  arrangements  and  adopting 
a  signal,  by  which  I  would  know  the  money  was  on  "The 
Plug,"  I  returned  home  and  notified  Norr-is  of  my  success. 
We  rode  down  to  Winthrop,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  four 
nights  in  succession,  and  on  the  fourth  night  the  signal  ap- 
peared, we  boarded  the  train  and  passed  through  the  coach 
containing  several  passengers,  into  the  express  car.  I  com- 
pelled Mr.  Simms,  the  conductor,  to  open  the  little  safe,  the 
contents  of  which  were  put  into  his  mail  pouch,  which  was 
thrown  over  my  shoulder.  I  then  searched  the  conductor, 
took  from  him  a  small  pistol  of  the  "Swamp  Angel"  pattern 
and  his  pocketbook,  which  he  said  contained  his  private  re- 
mittance to  the  company,  and  for  which  he  was  "personalty 
responsible,"  therefore  the  purse  and  its  contents  were  re- 
turned. The  baggage  master  had  forty  dollars,  his  "own 
money,"  which  I  did  not  take  from  him.  We  then  left  'the 
train  and  returned  home,  only  to  find  we  had  made  a  blunder 
on  acconut  of  a  misunderstanding  in  the  adjustment  of  the 
signal,  whereby  we  attacked  the  train  on  its  first  trip  instead 
of  waiting  for  the  second,  consequently  failed  to  get  the  ten 
thousand  dollars  due  that  evening.  This  robbery  occurred  on 
Thursday  night,  July  8th,  1880,  and  the  booty  obtained  con- 
sisted of  two  hundred  dollars  in  greenbacks,  six  dollars  in 
silver,  ten  Elgin  watch  movements,  valued  at  one  hundred 


184  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

and  forty  dollars,  one  fifty  dollar  silver  certificate  and  a  lot  of 
papers,  whose  value  I  did  not  ascertain.  The  certificate 
watches,  papers  and  pistols  were  put  into  the  conductor's 
pouch,  which  I,  on  Sunday  night,  hung  on  the  knob  of  the 
back  door  to  the  express  office  in  Atchison.  I  gave  our  friend 
his  share  of  the  money  and  again  returned  to  my  home  in  the 
woods,  deeply  impressed  with  the  fact  that  I  was  not,  prac- 
tically, a  complicated  schemer;  that  the  expectations  of  a  rob- 
ber were  too  often  extravagant  and  delusive,  therefore,  I  be- 
came disgusted  with  the  profession  of  highway  robbery,  and 
again  vowed  I  would  lead  an  honorable,  upright  life. 

My  headquarters  were  near  the  graveyard,  in  which  was 
buried  my  first  wife,  who,  as  stated  elsewhere,  was  an  angel, 
and  I  concluded  to  make  a  practical  test  of  my  faith  in  the 
efficacy  of  prayer.  Accordingly  six  nights  in  succession  were 
spent  in  prayer  at  her  grave.  About  one  o'clock  of  the  sixth 
night  I  knelt,  for  the  last  time,  at  the  grave  and  humbly  but 
earnestly  besought  God  to  send  the  spirit  of  my  dear-  Mattie 
to  advise  me  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it.  I  did  not  want  to 
lead  a  wicked  life,  yet  lacked  the  will  power  to  evade  the  dic- 
tates of  conscience,  and  hence  sought  heavenly  aid  and  guid- 
ance. The  city  of  the  dead  is  on  a  knoll,  at  the  mouth  of  a 
deep  hollow,  and  surrounded  by  a  dense  growth  of  timber. 
The  night  was  calm  and  beautiful,  yet  quite  dark  where  I  sat 
after  prayer,  leaning  against  the  head-stone  of  my  wife's 
grave,  awaiting  the  answer  to  my  petition,  and  to  my  notion 
a  more  fitting  time,  place  and  occasion  for  the  appearance  of 
a  disembodied  spirit  could  not  be  imagined.  "Luck"  lay  at 
my  side,  with  his  head  affectionately  resting  on  my  lap.  Pres- 
ently I  heard  something  tripping  over  the  grass  toward  where 
I  sat.  "Ah,  my  darling,"  I  said,  "is  coming  to  comfort  and 
strengthen  me  and  lead  me  into  the  way  of  everlasting  life."  Then 
the  tree  tops  began  to  sway  back  and  forth,  tombstones  set  up  a 
march  and  countermarch  movement  around  me,  the  earth 
trembled,  my  head  swami  and  my  heart,  beating  faster  and 
faster  as  the  footsteps  drew  nearer,  actually  ceased  to  pulsate 
when  the  spirit  stopped  at  my  side,  and  I,  with  a  last  breath, 
reverentially  exclaimed,  "Oh !  Heavenly  Father,  I  thank  thee 
that  thou  hast  heard  and  answered  my  prayer."  Just  then 
"Luck"  darted  across  my  lap,  seized  something  in  his  teeth, 
gave  it  a  vigorous  shake,  then  a  whine,  an  energetic  jerk  of 
a  bushy  tail  and  the  odor  of  a  healthy  skunk  arose  to  the  very 
throne  of  grace.  It  would  consume  a  ream  of  foolscap  to 
record  all  that  passed  through  my  mind  in  the  brief  space  of 
a  few  moments,  and  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  mind  strong  enough 
to  endure  for  ten  minutes  the  emotions  I  experienced  on  that 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  185 

occasion.  I  was  so  overwhelmed  by  anticipated  joys  arising 
from  the  expectations  of  a  conversation  with  my  departed 
wife's  spirit  that  I  could  not  rise,  but  when  the  stifling  odor 
of  that  skunk  reached  my  nostrils,  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and. 
uttering  a  volley  of  terrible  oaths,  fled  from  the  city  of  the 
dead.  Now,  I  believe  in  the  visitation  of  both  good  and  bad 
disembodied  spirits,  and  my  mind,  while  at  the  grave  of  my 
wife,  was  so  perplexed  with  evil  suggestions,  by  the  latter 
that  I  but  faintly  felt  the  strivings  of  the  former;  hence  my 
discomfiture  and  subsequent  sins. 

Shortly  after  my  graveyard  experience,  Norris  and  I  re- 
turning home  one  night,  encountered  "The  Mob"  (now  num- 
bering twenty-five  men,  well  armed)  at  Hall's  Station.  ^ 
rope  was  stretched  from  the  corner  of  the  depot  across  the 
road  and  made  fast  to  a  tree  (the  object  being  to  jerk  me 
from  the  saddle  in  case  I  started  to  run),  and  the  men  sta- 
tioned on  each  side  of  the  road,  placing  me  under  a  cross-fire, 
with  orders  to  shoot  me  if  I  did  not  fall.  As  we  drew  near 
the  Station,  the  deathlike  stillness  resting  over  that  hitherto 
noisy  place  became  so  oppressive  and  ominous,  so  much  so 
that  I  was  seized  with  a  positive  presentiment.  I  stopped 
short  and  said,  "Bill,  let  us  turn  off  here  and  go  around  the 
Station,  for  there  is  danger  awaiting  us."  "I  believe  you  are 
the  most  visionary  fellow  in  America.  I  was  thinking  your 
silence  would  result  in  another  revelation  from  on  high,"  he 
irreverently  replied.  I  was  piqued  by  his  lack  of  respect  for 
my  feelings  and  quietly  rode  on.  He  himself  became  im- 
pressed that  all  was  not  right,  and  as  we  neared  the  railroad 
crossing  I  heard  him  cock  his  pistol,  and  had  only  time  to  say 
softly,  "Don't  shoot  any  one  if  you  can  help  it,"  when  "Halt, 
halt,"  rang  out  on  the  stillness  of  the  night  from  a  dozen 
angry  throats.  I  pressed  the  spurs  to  my  horse,  and  he  shot 
forward  like  an  arrow,  then  "bang,  bang,"  went  the  pistols, 
and  "boom,  boom"  echoed  the  double-barreled  shotguns, 
There  was  no  moon,  but  the  stars  shone  with  uncommon  bril- 
liancy, enabling  me  to  see  the  rope  in  time  to  lean  forward  so 
as  to  pass  under  it.  As  I  did  so  the  fellow  behind  the  tree 
discharged  both  barrels  of  his  gun  at  me.  The  saddle-horn 
and  the  front  part  of  my  vest  were  swept  away  by  the  shot, 
but  neither  horse  nor  myself  were  touched.  I  ran  a  hundred 
yards  or  so  and  stopped.  Bill's  horse  dashed  past  me  with- 
out the  rider.  Thus  far  I  had  had  no  desire  to  return  the  fire 
but  now,  supposing  my  friend  killed,  was  on  the  point  of  go- 
ing back  to  fight  the  whole  "Mob"  single-handed  when  I 
heard  Bill  whistle  in  the  field  at  my  left.  Norris,  when  his 
horse  fell  at  the  first  fire,  pierced  with  a  load  of  buck-shot  in 


186 LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

the  head  and  neck,  sprang  over  the  hedge  fence  and  escaped 
but  two  buck-shot  had  passed  through  his  left  hand.  Next 
day  Norris  went  to  St.  Joseph  and  had  warrants  issued  for  tlie 
whole  party  of  would-be  assassins,  who  were  promptly  ar- 
rested, and  as  promptly  released  on  bail. 

This  affair  discovered  the  friendship  existing  between 
Norris  and  myself,  and  henceforward  his  house  was  watched 
day  and  night  in  the  hope  of  catching  me.  "The  Mob's"  first 
reward  was  secret,  or  limited  to  the  society  of  "regulators," 
but  now  it  was  increased  to  five  hundred  dollars  and  made 
public.  Hitherto  the  officers  of  the  law  paid  no  attention 
to  the  rewards  supposed  to  have  been  offered  for  my  capture 
but  this  one,  vouched  for  by  men  financially  able  to  make  it 
good,  had  the  effect  of  not  only  arousing  the  whole  legal 
force  against  me,  but  the  community  at  large.  Men  who  had 
been  my  dearest  friends,  and  to  whom  I  had  rendered  acts 
of  love  and  assistance  on  various  occasions,  now  sought  my 
life  or  liberty 'for  the  sake  of  a  few  dollars.  Jacob  Starmen 
whose  life  I  saved  at  the  risk  of  my  own,  became  my  most 
relentless  pursuer,  the  only  cause  for  his  enmity  being  based 
upon  the  fact  of  my  having  assisted  his  daughter  to  secure 
an  excellent  husband.  There  were  at  least  five  hundred 
men  in  search  of  me,  and,  to  use  their  own  words,  "every 
house  where  he  is  known  to  get  aid  or  provisions  is  watched 
and  every  avenue  of  escape  cut  off."  I  overheard  this  remark 
one  night  as  I  lay  in  the  bushes  on  the  roadside  near  a  spring 
at  which  a  lengthy  conversation  took  place  between  two  of 
my  pursuers.  For  five  days  I  had  nothing  to  eat  except 
slippery-elm  bark  and  a  sheaf  of  oats,  yet  my  faithful  "Luck" 
remained  at  my  side.  He  seemed  to  understand  the  gravity 
of  the  situation,  and  appeared  to  be  doubly  watchful,  but  this 
was  not  necessary,  as  my  enemies  had  no  intention  of  attack- 
ing me  in  the  woods,  but  secreted  themselves  along  the  roads, 
paths,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  certain  springs.  By  this  clever 
strategem  they  hoped  to  entrap  me,  or  force  me,  through 
hunger,  to '  surrender.  My  chances  for  escape  lay  in  a  bold 
dash  through  the  enemy's  line,  or  in  my  ability  to  endure 
hunger,  thereby  giving  the  impression  that  I  had  already 
passed  beyond  successful  pursuit.  Late  in  the  evening  of  the 
fifth  day,  I  sent  "Luck"  to  the  cabin.  He  soon  returned  with 
a  note  from  Nora,  requesting  me  to  leave  the  country  for  a 
while,  and  stating  that  she  would  bring  my  horse  to  me  "or 
die  trying."  I  wrote  another  note,  saying,  "Bring  the  horse 
by  all  means,  and  tie  Luck  in  the  house."  I  fastened  the  note 
to  his  collar,  shook  his  paw  good-bye  and  said,  "Go,  my  dear 
friend."  About  fifty  yards  away  he  stopped  and  looked  back, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DKKDS 


187 


as  if  to  say,  "Dear  master,  I  know  that  I  shall  never  see  you 
again" ;  I  waved  my  hand  for  him  to  go  on,  he  dropped  his 
tail  and  passed  out  of  my  sight  under  a  sweeping  trot.  About 
sundown  Nora  started  to  me,  and  as  she  came  out  of  the 
bushes  into  the  road  the  horse  coughed,  thereby  attracting  the 
attention  of  a  dozen  men,  who  were  hid  at  the  mouth  of  a  hol- 
low. They  saw  her  and  shouted,  "Halt,  halt,  or  we'll  shoot," 
and  started  in  pursuit  of  her.  The  horse  was  a  good  one,  and. 
as  she  said,  "fairly  flew  down  the  road."  I  heard  the  clatter 


Nora  taking  a  Horse  to  Wells'  Rescue. 


of  his  feet,  and,  looking  up  the  road,  beheld  the  loveliest  pic- 
ture my  eyes  ever  rested  upon.  The  horse,  with  nostrils  ex- 
panded, was  running  at  full  speed,  Nora  sitting  erect  and 
gracefully  poised  in  the  saddle,  her  black  tresses  waving  in 
the  breeze,  her  eyes  sparkling  with  uncommon  fire,  and  her 
cheeks  aglow  with  excitement  and  love.  She  dismounted. 
threw  her  arms  around  my  neck,  kissed  me,  and  said,  "Polk, 
for  my  sake  get  away  from  here  as  quick  as  you  can.  A  dozen 
men  are  coming  this  way.  When  you  stop  let  us  know  where 
you  are  and  we  will  come  to  you.  Here,  put  this  lunch  in 
your  pocket,  and  go.  God  bless  you,  and  keep  you  from  evil 
and  harm."  I  mounted  the  horse,  and  with  her  prayer  ring- 


188  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  in  my  ears,  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  My  pursuers,  meet- 
ing Nora  returning  afoot,  knew  she  had  given  me  the  horse, 
therefore  shamefully  abused  her,  and  declared  they  would  not 
rest  until  I  was  captured  and  to  accomplish  this  a  man  was 
sent  post  haste  to  Hall's  Station  to  telegraph  the  other  branches 
of  the  association  to  look  out  for  me.  I  knew  this  would  be 
done,  but  hoped  to  be  beyond  the  committee's  reach  before 
morning,  and  would  have  done  so  if  I  had  not  fallen  asleep  in 
my  saddle.  Though  I  had  implicit  confidence  in  Luck,  whom 
I  had  trained  to  awaken  me  without  barking,  yet  I  could  not 
sleep  soundly.  The  breaking  of  a  twig  or  the  chirp  of  a  bird 
was  sufficient  to  bring  me  to  my  feet,  pistol  in  hand,  ready 
to  battle  for  my  life  or  liberty — I  would  not  again  experience 
such  feelings  for  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  universe. 

After  leaving  Nora  I  remember  passing  Wallace,  on  the 
Rock  Island  road,  but  there  I  fell  asleep  and  did  not  wake  un- 
til nearly  sunrise,  and,  finding  myself  within  a  mile  of  De- 
Kftlb,  and  not  more  than  six  miles  from  where  I  started ;  and 
where  the  regulators  were  as  thick  and  ferocious  as  alligators 
ia  a  Mississippi  swamp.  I  turned  my  horse  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  by  eight  o'clock  crossed  the  Platte  River.  The 
road  lay  up  the  river  bottom,  which  was  covered  with  heavy 
timber  and  underbrush.  At  a  short  turn  in  the  road  I  came 
face  to  face  with  a  dozen  men,  all  well  armed  and  riding  good 
horses.  To  run  was  to  be  riddled  with  bullets ;  to  submit  to 
arrest  was  simply  to  be  hung.  I  concluded  they  could  do  no 
more  than  kill  me,  and,  drawing  both  pistols,  dashed  forward 
to  meet  the  foe,  regardless  of  consequences.  My  first  im- 
pulse was  to  kill  every  man  I  could,  so  that  I  would,  like 
Samson,  be  crowned  with  victory  even  in  death ;  but  better 
thoughts  entered  my  mind  on  seeing  the  confusion  my  bold 
onslaught  had  thrown  the  enemy  into,  and  decided  to  simply 
wound  a  few  of  them.  "Before  they  can  examine  the  wound- 
ed and  get  over  their  surprise  I  will  be  out  of  reach,"  was 
my  idea.  Accordingly,  as  I  passed  through  the  party,  I  shot 
two  men  through  the  arm  and  one  through  the  shoulder,  the 
latter  falling  from  his  horse,  exclaimed,  "I'm  shot,  boys."  Some 
of  the  cooler  heads  recovered  sufficiently  to  send  a  shower  of 
shot  after  me  as  I  turned  my  horse  into  an  opening  in  the 
woods.  Several  shot  passed  through  my  clothes,  and  one 
struck  my  horse  a  little  below  and  back  of  the  right  ear.  He 
ran  about  fifty  yards  and  fell  dead.  That  night  I  stole  a  horse 
and  by  daylight  next  morning  was  on  the  river  opposite  Lex- 
ington, Missouri.  Here  I  turned  the  horse  loose,  and  crossed 
the  river  in  a  skiff.  As  I  passed  up  a  back  street  of  Lexing- 
ton I  saw  a  sign,  "Washing  and  ironing  done  to  order." 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  180 

Entering  the  little  cottage  I  found  an  old  negro  woman  alone. 
She,  seeing  that  I  was  muddy  from  head  to  foot,  took  me  for  a 
tramp,  and  was  about  to  order  me  from  the  house,  when  I 
produced  a  five  dollar  bill  and,  holding  it  toward  her  said. 
"Auntie,  I  will  give  you  this  if  you  will  get  me  something  to 
eat  and  clean  my  clothes ;  I  can  go  to  bed  while  you  do  the 
latter."  She  laughed  heartily  and  said,  "Bless  de  Lawd,  I 
nebber  hearn  ob  sich  a  thing  in  all  de  days  ob  my  life  befo'." 
While  I  was  doing  justice  to  an  excellent  breakfast,  my 
sable-skinned  hostess  was  preparing  a  bed  for  me,  after  which 
I  gave  her  the  money,  saying,  "Now,  auntie,  if  you  tell  any 
one  that  I  am  here,  or  have  been  here,  I  will  never  patronize 
you  again."  "Fo'  he  Lawd  I  wouldn't  tell  de  angels  in  heben 
'bout  you,  sah,"  was  her  earnest  reply.  After  a  bath  in  a  tub 
of  cold  water,  I  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep.  When  I  awoke,  at 
nine  o'clock  that  evening,  my  clothes  were  lying  on  a  chair 
looking  as  bright  as  when  I  bought  them,  and  my  boots  nice- 
ly polished.  Stepping  from  the  bedroom  into  the  presence  of 
my  benefactress,  she  made  a  stately  bow  and  laughingly  re- 
marked that  I  did  not  look  like  "de  same  person."  I  was 
greatly  refreshed,  and  felt  as  differently  as  I  looked. 

I  put  up  at  one  of  the  best  hotels  in  Lexington,  and  was 
frequently  obliged  to  enter  into  a  discussion  with  other  guests 
about  myself.  I  was  praised  by  one  side  and  denounced  by 
the  other.  I  had  but  little  to  say  when  the  remarks  were  mina- 
tory, but  when  of  a  complimentary  nature  I  would  tell  a  story 
touching  some  of  my  exploits  on  the  plains.  One  evening  I 
was  engaged  in  conversation  with  Mr.  Price,  a  commercial 
traveler  for  a  Kansas  City  tea  firm,  who  seemed  to  take  spe- 
cial delight  in  relating  daring  deeds  and  hair-breadth  escapes 
of  Poke  Wells.  "Are  you  personally  acquainted  with  the 
famous  outlaw?"  I  asked.  "Oih,  yes,  I  know  himi  quite  well," 
said  the  gentleman.  I  then  demanded  a  description  of  my- 
self, which  I  could  give  verbatim,  but  will  refrain  from  doing 
so.  I  was  represented  as  being  a  model  type  of  manhood, 
and  possessed  of  intellectual  qualifications  and  shrewdness  in 
trickery  equal  to  General  Jim  Weaver  of  Iowa.  He  concluded 
his  eulogy  of  me  by  saying,  "Polk  is  a  jolly  good  fellow  and  a 
fine  billiard  player."  Mr.  Price's  acquaintance  with  me  was 
imaginary,  and  so  far  as  my  playing  billiards  with  him  or  any 
one  else  is  concerned  is  wholly  untrue,  as  I  never  played  a 
game  of  billiards.  I  have  had  this  sort  of  thing  to  occur 
many  times,  and  I  am  unable  to  understand  why  intelligent 
men  resort  to  such  questionable  means  in  order  to  make  some- 
one else  oelieve  they  are  intimately,  or  even  remotely,  ac- 
quainted with  some  notorious  character. 


190 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


From  Lexington  I  went  to  Norbourne,  which  I  found 
profusely  decorated  with  Miles  Orton's  circus  bills.  Here  I 
met  two  men  whom  I  agreed  to  help  rob  the  ticket  wagon  on 
show  day,  which  would  have  been  done  had  I  not  met  Mr. 
Orton,  who,  with  his  leading  men,  put  up  at  the  same  hotel 
I  was  staying  at.  Just  before  dinner  a  little  boy  came  in  and 
said,  "Gentlemen,  I  want  to  black  your  boots  to  get  some 
money  so  I  can  go  to  the  show  to  see  Mr.  Orton,  the  best 
bareback  rider  in  the  world."  "How  do  you  know  he  is?" 
asked  Mr.  Orton.  "Because  my  papa  says  so,"  was  the  boy's 


Wouldn't  Rob  the  Show  because  Proprietor  too  Generous  Hearted. 

reply.  Some  one  then  inquired,  "Can't  your  father  buy  yon 
a  ticket?"  "No,  sir;  he  got  hurt  in  a  railroad  wreck  several 
weeks  ago  and  has  not  earned  any  money  since."  This 
touched  the  great  showman's  heart,  and  he  said,  "Frank," 
speaking  to  one  of  his  men,  "pass  the  hat."  Everyone  in  the 
room  contributed  something,  and  one  gentleman  dropped  a  bill 
into  the  cap  of  the  astonished  boy,  whose  tongue  had  been 
taught  to  say  "thank  you,"  and  whose  heartfelt  gratitude 
beamed  forth  from  his  large  brown  eyes  as  he  bowed  himself 
out  of  the  room.  This  was  a  beautiful  scene,  and  completely 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  15)1 

changed  my  thoughts  for  that  day  at  least.  After  dinner  I 
met  my  partners  and  told  them  that  Mr.  Orton  was  my  personal 
friend,  and,  of  course,  could  not  see  him  robbed.  "Well,  we 
can  all  go  to  the  show  then,  if  that  is  the  case,"  said  one  of  the 
boys.  When  I  reached  the  circus  ground  the  tent  was  full  of 
merry  people,  but  outside  stood  a  score  of  little  ones,  whose 
apparel  and  pinched  faces  stamped  them  as  children  of  pov- 
erty, with  their  sad  little  eyes  turned  longingly  toward  the 
tent  entrance.  My  sympathy  for  these  unfortunate  ones  was 
deeply  moved.  I  stepped  to  the  ticket  wagon,  and  placing  five 
dollars  on  the  board,  said  to  the  agent,  "Pleace  give  me  half- 
fare  tickets  for  that."  I  gave  the  tickets  to  the  little  girls 
and  boys,  who  shouted,  "Goody,  goody,  we'll  get  to  see  the 
elephant  dance."  I  entered  the  tent,  too,  as  the  clown  said, 
"just  to  please  the  children."  Thus  Mr.  Orton's  kindness  to 
the  little  boy  not  only  saved  him  from  being  robbed,  but  put 
money  in  his  pocket,  and  the  delight  and  thankfulness  with 
which  the  little  fellow  received  his  collection  from  the  hotel 
guests  and  showman  must  have  caused  his  heart  to  leap  for 
joy;  besides  his  generosity  opened  the  way  for  me  to  share  in 
the  common  glory  of  ministering  unto  the  poor  and  needy  ones 
of  earth. 

I  remained  in  and  around  Norborne  for  some  time  after 
the  circus,  always  thinking  of  Nora,  often  repeating  those 
lovely  lines  of  the  great  poet,  Goethe :  "Nora,  dear  Nora,  when 
thou  are  near  I  feel  I  ought  not  to  love,  but  when  far  away  I 
feel  I  love  thee  so  much,  Oh,  much."  Besides  loving  Nora,  I 
loved  my  native  county  (Buchanan),  and  as  I  could  not  bo 
happy  anywhere,  concluded  to  return  home,  surrender  my- 
self to  the  law  and  accept  a  sentence  in  the  penitentiary,  if 
that  would  free  me  from  further  persecution,  rather  than  re- 
main an  exile  from  home  and  friends ;  besides  I  wanted  to 
testify  against  "The  Mob"  for  shooting  at  Norris  and  myself. 
Arriving  at  the  "log  cabin,"  I  informed  Al  and  Nora  of  my 
decision,  which  they  heartily  approved.  Al  and  Nora  were 
witnesses  against  "The  Mob,"  and  on  the  day  of  trial  (Sep- 
tember 9th)  we  all  started  for  St.  Joseph.  When  we  reached 
the  city  they  went  on  to  the  court  house,  while  I  stopped  to 
get  shaved  before  presenting  myself  to  the  sheriff.  While  I 
was  in  the  barber  chair  a  member  of  "The  Mob"  passed  the 
door,  and  recognizing  me,  hurried  on  to  inform  his  colleagues 
who  quickly  came  to  the  shop,  accompanied  by  Deputy  Sher- 
iff Tom  Kelly,  who  entered  the  room  and  asked,  "Is  your 
name  Wells— Polk  Wells?"  "Yes,  sir."  "Well,  I  have  a  war- 
rant for  you,  Mr.  Wells,"  said  he.  I  discovered  "The  Mob" 
outside,  and  taking  the  deputy  for  one  of  its  members,  con- 


192  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

eluded  to  fight;  therefore,  I  struck  the  officer,  sending  him 
whirling  across  the  room.  I  was  seized  by  half  a  dozen  strong- 
men and  a  terrible  struggle  ensued.  I  was  finally  disarmed 
and  triumphantly  carried  off  to  jail,  and  when  safely  behind 
the  bars  the  deputy  sheriff  read  two  warrants  to  me,  one  for 
highway  robbery,  which  was  committed  by  the  "fellow  that 
looked  like  me,"  and  the  other  for  assault  with  intent  to  kill. 
The  latter  charge  was  preferred  by  Fred  Crandall,  with  whom 
I  had  a  difficulty  a  year  previous,  and  with  whom  I  had  made 
friends.  In  the  case  of  robbery  the  prosecuting  attorney,  Mr. 
Hall,  entered  a  nolle  prosequi.  Then  "The  Mob"  joined  Cran- 
dall in  the  hope  of  sending  me  to  the  penitentiary.  I  waived 
examination,  and  the  court  fixed  my  bond  at  two  thousand 
dollars,  in  default  of  which  I  was  again  taken  to  jail.  There 
were  scores  of  good  men  who  were  inclined  to  go  on  my 
bond,  but  feared  to  identify  themselves  as  my  friends  by  such 
an  open  demonstration,  consequently  I  was  obliged  to  remain 
in  durance  vile. 

About  the  first  of  February,  1881,  the  Talbott  brothers 
under  sentence  of  death  for  the  murder  of  their  father,  Dr. 
Talbott,  a  wealthy  and  prominent  gentleman  of  Nodaway 
County,  were  brought  to  the  St.  Joseph  jail  for  safe  keeping 
until  the  day  set  for  their  execution.  Mrs.  Talbott  came  to 
see  her  boys,  and  I  proposed  to  rescue  them  and  see  them 
safely  out  of  the  country,  provided  she  would  put  up  one 
thousand  dollars (  which  would  secure  my  release),  furnish 
money  to  buy  arms  and  horses  and  defray  traveling  expenses 
Next  morning  she  returned  and  handed  me  a  belt  containing 
ten  hundred  and  twenty  dollars,  with  orders  to  call  at  her 
house  as  soon  as  liberated.  My  attorney,  Colonel  Sam  B. 
Green,  took  the  money  and  deposited  it  in  the  First  National 
Bank,  whole  president,  Honorable  A.  M.  Saxton,  came  to  the 
court  house,  signed  my  bond,  and  I  walked  out  a  free  man 
once  more.  Next  day  I  arrived  at  the  Talbot  mansion  and 
was  gretted  with  tears  and  cheers  of  the  sorrowing  mother 
of  the  doomed  boys.  I  was  furnished  ample  means  for  carry- 
ing out  my  design,  and  a  fine  mule  team,  wagon  and  harness 
and  an  excellent  saddle  horse  were  given  into  my  charge.  The 
team  was  intended  for  conveying  the  boys  away  after  being 
released,  and  the  horse  was  a  present  to  myself.  A  livery 
stable  man  of  St.  Joseph  was  interested  in  and  hoped  for  my 
success  and  furnished  me  one  of  the  best  carriage  teams  in  the 
city  with  which  to  carry  the  boys  to  the  mule  team  in  the 
woods  near  Al  and  Nora's  house.  "Big  Mike"  was  also  in 
jail  waiting  trial  for  robbing  the  train  at  Paw  Paw  Junction. 
After  passing  the  postoffice  I  stopped  the  team  and  got  out 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  193 

of  the  carriage,  for  that  mysterious  messenger,  which  has  ac- 
companied me  through  so  many  adventures,  now  warned  me 
that  "discretion  is  the  better  part  of  valor/'  and  that  I  had 
better  investigate  matters  before  venturing  further,  and  it  is 
well  for  me  that  I  heeded  the  warning  of  the  "still,  small 
voice,"  for  when  I  reached  the  jail,  "Big  Mike"  informed  me 
through  the  "chuck  hole"  that  it  was  heavily  guarded,  and 
certain  death  awaited  me  in  case  I  made  an  effort  to  rescue 
him  and  the  Talbot  boys.  The  Sheriff  overheard  them  wish 
for  my  return,  and,  suspecting  their  mother's  money  had  ef- 
fected my  release,  notified  the  court,  from  which  he  received 
orders  to  arm  a  dozen  men  to  defend  the  jail.  I  prudently 
withdrew  and  advised  my  comrades  to  leave  the  city  immedi- 
ately. The  Talbott  boys  were  secretly  removed  to  another 
jail.  It  was,  however,  confidently  expected  that  I  would  make 
another  effort  to  rescue  the  boys — which  was  fully  contem- 
plated by  me,  and  would  have  been  attempted  had  not  the 
mother  stopped  me — either  from  jail  or  on  the  day  of  the  ex- 
ecution ;  therefore,  a  number  of  sheriffs  from  southwestern 
Iowa  were  invited  to  assist  the  Missouri  officers  in  maintain- 
ing the  majesty  of  the  law,  consequently  the  boys  were  hung 
on  the  clay  appointed. 

Having  been  dimsissed  from  Mrs.  Talobt's  employment, 
I  returned  home  and  went  to  work  with  Al  and  Nora  on  a 
little  farm.  Our  cabin  was  on  the  bluff,  overlooking  the  Mis- 
souri bottoms,  and  when  the  river  flooded  the  cemetery  that 
spring  (1881),  we  took  our  teams  and  worked  day  and  night 
in  the  water,  rescuing  the  people  and  their  property.  Some 
of  those  whom  we  assisted  from  the  bottom  and  cared  for 
until  the  river  receded  into  its  banks  were  our  bitterest  ene- 
mies. I  will  note  one  case  on  account  of  its  remarkable  fea- 
tures. A  widow,  Mrs.  McBride,  and  her  son  lived  about  two 
miles  from  our  cabin.  I  knew  the  young  man,  Reuben,  but 
had  never  seen  his  mother,  who  had  invoked  a"n  awful  fate 
upon  me.  "I  do  wish,"  she  said,  "that  the  vigilantes  would 
leave  him  hanging  until  the  crows  pick  his  eyes  out."  When 
Al  and  I,  with  oui  team?,  arrived  at  her  house  the  water  wa? 
rushing  through  it.  Reuben  was  away  trying  to  get  his  stock 
to  the  bluffs,  while  the  old  lady  lay  on  a  bed  weeping.  "My 
good  woman,"  said  I,  "will  you  let  us  take  you  to  a  place  of 
safety?"  "Yes,  sir,  and  God  will  bless  you  for  it,  too,"  was 
her  thankful  reply.  After  filling  our  wagons  with  the  most 
valuable  and  perishable  goods,  we  then  carried  the  lady  in  a 
chair  between  us  through  the  water  (waist  deep)  to  my  wag- 
on, gave  her  a  comfortable  seat  and  started  for  the  cabin.  Ar- 
riving there  she  was  sent  to  the  house,  while  we  hastened  to 


194  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

help  Reuben  corral  his  stock  in  our  lot.  He  was  very  thankful 
for  our  assistance1,  and  said,  "I  guess  mother  will  be  surprised 
when  she  finds  out  where  she  is."  Mrs.  McBride  was  not 
afraid  of  Al  and  Nora,  but  denounced  them  in  strongest  terms 
for  their  friendship  to  me ;  nevertheless  Nora  received  her  in 
a  royal  manner  and  bid  her  welcome,  thereby  fulfilling  our 
Savior's  command  to  "love  and  do  good  to  those  who  hate 
you."  On  entering  the  house  the  old  lady  inquired,  "Whose 
house  am  I  at,  to  whom  am  I  indebted  for  this  great  assist- 
ance, and  who  is  that  dark-complexioned  young  man  who  has 
treated  me  so  kindly  and  tenderly?"  Nora  replied,  "That  is 
Polk  Wells,  and  the  young  man  with  him  is  my  husband,  Mr. 
Warnica,  whose  house  you  are  in."  "Then  you  are  Nora 
Wells,  or,  I  should  say,  Warnica?"  "Yes,  ma'am."  "And  is 
it  possible  that  such  a  man  as  I  believed  Polk  Wells  to  be  can 
be  so  kind  and  gentlemanly."  Nora  assured  the  old  lady  that 
I  was  far  from  being  a  savage.  The  McBrides  became  our 
most  zealous  friends  and  promptly  rebuked  any  one  who 
dared,  in  her  presence,  speak  disrespectful  of  Al,  Nora  or  myself. 

A  large  majority  of  those  driven  from  their  humble  homes 
by  the  river  were  very  poor,  and  lived,  as  it  were,  from  hand 
to  mouth,  even  in  good  times;  but  now,  in  their  deplorable 
condition,  they  became  worthy  objects  of  pity  and  assistance. 
The  bluffs  were  alive  with  bare-footed,  pale-faced,  hungry  lit- 
tle children,  care-worn  mothers  and  tired  fathers.  This  was  a 
most  affecting  scene,  and,  strange  to  say,  many  of  the  people 
from  whom  I  could  take  nothing  and  had  not,  and  never  de- 
sired to  wrong  in  any  way,  had  earnestly  sought  my  life  or 
liberty;  yet  their  sad  situation  aroused  my  sympathy  to  its 
utmost  capacity.  I  drove  Mrs.  Talbot's  mules  and  horse  to 
St.  Joseph,  sold  them  and  distributed  the  money  among  the 
most  needy  of  these  unfortunate  people.  It  may  be  thought 
that  I  could  well  afford  to  be  charitable  with  other  people's 
money,  yet  It  was  virtually  mine,  as  Mrs.  Talbott  had  not 
asked  the  return  of  her  property,  and  the  probabilities  were 
it  would  not  have  been  restored  if  she  had,  consequently  my 
generosity  was  the  effusion  of  true  sympathy  and  self-sacri- 
fice. But  my  kindness  was  not  appreciated,  as  these  same 
people  to  whom  I  gave  the  money  were,  when  again  in  their 
own  homes,  as  bitter  toward  me  as  before. 

The  man  who  planned  the  train  robbery  for  Norris  and 
myself  the  previous  summer  now  proposed  that  we  rob  a  rich 
merchant,  who,  in  connection  with  his  store,  was  transacting 
a  sort  of  banking  business  at  Nortonville,  Kansas.  I  went  out 
to  investigate  the  financial  standing  of  the  firm  (McCarthy  & 
Layson),  and  after  a  very  pleasant  conversation  with  Mr.  Me- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 195 

Carthy,  concluded  that  he  was  not  the  kind  of  a  man  I  desired 
to  rob  and  so  informed  my  friend.  "Mr.  McCarthy,"  he  said, 
"is  a  very  nice  man  now,  but  he  made  his  start  robbing  Mis- 
sourians  during  the  war;  beside  he  has  used  some  very  strong 
language  about  you  of  late."  This  sneering  reply  sealed  the 
fate  of  the  merchant,  so  I  hurried  to  Missouri  after  Norris  to 
help  me  execute  my  friend's  wishes.  At  nine  o'clock  P.  M.  on 
or  about  the  14th  of  June,  Norris,  James  Dougherty  and  my- 
self arrived  at  Nortonville,  and  when  we  entered  the  store 
there  were  several  men  and  three  ladies  in  it.  The  latter 
stood  behind  a  stack  of  cailco,  which  prevented  my  seeing 
them,  or  I  would  not  have  made  the  attack  when  I  did  but 
would  have  waited  until  their  departure.  The  safe  was  open 
and  Mr.  McCarthy  and  an  old  gentleman  stood  near  it  count- 
ing their  money.  I  stepped  behind  the  counter,  and  after  as- 
suring the  ladies  that  no  personal  harm  was  intended,  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  the  interior  of  the  safe,  from  which  I  took 
twelve  hundred  dollars  but  failed  to  get  a  larger  amount  locked 
in  a  little  side  drawer.  I  saw  Mr.  McCarthy  hand  something 
to  his  wife,  which  she  quickly  slipped  into  the  bosom  of  her 
dress  (the  all-important  receptacle  of  every  woman's  treas- 
ure), and  which  was  the  key  to  the  money  drawer,  but  I  af- 
fected not  to  see  this  clever  maneuver  as  I  knew  I  could  not 
get  the  key  without  thrusting  my  crime-stained  hand  into  the 
sacred  folds  of  the  lady's  bosom ;  besides  I  had  promised  not 
to  molest  her  and  my  word,  though  a  robber,  was  always 
sacredly  observed,  therefore  my  attention  was  given  to  the 
men,  whom  I  searched  only  for  fire  arms.  One  young  fellow 
had  forty  dollars  and  one  of  the  ladies  said,  "Oh,  Mr.  Robber 
don't  take  it,  he  had  to  work  very  hard  for  it."  I  was  not 
offering  to  take  his  money,  nor  had  I  even  asked  him  for  it, 
but  he  presented  the  purse  to  me  unsolicited.  I  looked  at  his 
hands  which  bore  the  marks  of  toil,  and  returned  his  purse 
without  looking  into  it.  Then  bidding  Mr.  McCarthy  good- 
night, and  bowing  politely  to  the  ladies,  I  bade  my  comrades 
follow  me  out  of  the  store.  A  few  days  later  Dougherty  was 
arrested  and  to  save  himself  confessed  to  the  crime  and  impli- 
cated Norris  and  myself.  On  the  same  day  that  Dougherty 
was  arrested  I  went  to  St.  Joseph,  where  I  met  Mr.  Layton 
just  from  Iowa  and  who  had  telegraphed  his  sister  at  Rush- 
ville  to  come  to  St.  Joseph  on  the  eight  P.  M.  train.  We  met 
the  sister  and  escorted  her  to  the  Gault  House.  Here,  in  a 
private  parlor,  Miss  Layton  informed  me  that  my  sister  had 
accompanied  her  from  Rushville  to  Halls  Station,  at  which 
place  she  left  the  train  and  walked  out  to  where  Al  and  Nora 
lived.  My  attorney  in  Atchison  learned  that  a  large  party 


196  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

from  Nortonville  was  on  its  way  to  Halls  Station  to  join  "the 
Mob"  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  or  killing  me.  He  told  sis- 
ter of  the  proposed  attack  and  advised  her  to  notify  me  as 
quick  as  possible  of  my  danger.  Mr.  Layton,  after  hearing 
this  extraordinary  news,  produced  a  paper  clipping  and  handed 
it  to  me  to  read.  It  was  a  sketch  of  his  life  which  instantly 
transformed  Mr.  Layton  and  his  sister  into  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
son. Thinking  my  absence  would  be  agreeable 'to  the  Wilsons 
I  turned  to  leave  the  room  determined  to  return  home  that 
night  so  I  could  get  ready  to  receive  my  enthusiastic  friends 
from  Kansas.  Before  reaching  the  door  Mr.  Wilson  said, 
"Stop,  Mr.  Wells,  I  have  a  proposition  to  make  to  you."  "Out 
with  it,"  said  I.  He  then  spoke  of  his  admiration  and  his  re- 
spect for  me  and  his  growing  desire  to  become  my  associate  in 
crime  and  notoriety,  and  closed  his  remarks  by  saying,  "Now. 
sir,  I  propose  to  accompany  you  through  good  as  well  as  evil 
report,  and  to  share  any  danger  you  may  have  to  face.  It  has 
for  some  time  been  my  ambition  to  have  an  encounter  just 
such  a  one  as  you  are  likely  to  have  with  the  regulators."  I 
warned  him,  as  I  did  all  other  young  men  who  wished  to  link 
their  fortunes  with  mine,  of  the  hardships,  dangers,  disgrace 
and  shame  which  awaited  not  only  himself,  but  his  parents, 
also,  by  leading  a  life  of  crime ;  but  he  insisted  so  stoutly  on 
going  with  me  that  after  considering  the  old  proverb  of  "a 
friend  in  need,"  etc.,  I  concluded  to  accept  his  company. 

The  conductor,  who  was  my  friend,  on  reaching  the  woods 
near  Norris'  house,  stopped  for  us  to  get  off.  It  was  quite  dark 
in  the  heavy  timber  and  the  women,  knowing  that  the  train 
never  stopped  at  this  point  except  to  let  me  on  or  off,  came  out 
to  scare  him.  When  opposite  them  Nora  broke  a  twig  in  her 
hand  and  shouted  "Halt,  surrender."  That  beloved  voice 
though  somewhat  muffled,  was  readily  recognized,  otherwise 
my  darling  Nora  would  have  been  killed,  for  Wilson  drew  his 
pistol  with  deadly  intent,  but  my  alert  ears  caught  the  sound 
of  clicking  triggers  in  time  to  say,  "Don't  shoot/'  After  talk- 
ing with  sister  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  my  real  danger 
had  been  magnified,  but  it  had  not. 

Wilson  and  I  the  next  morning  returned  to  St.  Joseph  and 
entered  the  law  office  of  my  attorney,  S.  B.  Green,  to  whom  I 
introduced  him  as  Mr.  Layton.  Mr.  Green  wrote  the  letter 
of  introduction  as  desired  to  Mr.  Booher,  of  the  Savannah 
Bar,  and  give  it  to  Mr.  Layton,  who,  after  leaving  the  office, 
handed  the  document  to  me.  Accompanied  by  Mrs.  Wilson 
I  entered  Mr.  Booher's  office  and  handed  him  the  letter  from 
his  distinguished  legal  friend,  which  he  read  and  immediately 
made  out  the  necessary  papers,  took  me  to  the  court  house  and 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  197 

introduced  me  to  the  judge,  clerk  of  the  court  and  the  Sheriff 
as  Mr.  Layton,  of  St.  Joseph.  The  notice  of  divorce  was  is- 
sued against  Wilson,  who  was  to  pass  Savannah  that  evening 
on  the  train  and  I  accompanied  the  Sheriff  to  the  depot  to 
point  him  out  to  the  officer.  The  train  arrived  but  Wilson 
was  not  on  board.  As  we  returned  to  the  city  Mr.  Lincoln  in- 
formed me  that  he  had  just  received  authority  from  St.  Joseph 
to  "arrest  the  notorious  Polk  Wells — five  hundred  dollars  re- 
ward for  dead  or  alive."  The  telegram  stated  that  I  had  left  St. 
Joseph  in  company  with  a  woman  for  Savannah,  but  my  busi- 
ness was  not  revealed,  therefore  the  two  prominent  lawyers 
mixed  up  in  the  case  left  the  officers  in  doubt  as  to  whom  I 
really  was ;  and  as  I  deemed  it  prudent  to  remain  quiet  on  the 
subject,  they  were  obliged  to  await  further  developments.  The 
Deputy  Sheriff  and  several  gentlemen  accompanied  the  Sheriff 
and  myself  from  the  depot  up-town.  I  noticed  they  were  eye- 
ing me  closely,  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  with  whom  I  was  walking 
said,  "Polk  Wells  is  a  desperate  and  dangerous  character/' 
whereupon  I  offered  my  assistance  in  making  the  arrest  in  case 
he  located  his  man.  On  reaching  the  public  square  the  offi- 
cers turned  into  the  court  yard,  and  I  hurried  to  the  hotel  and 
notified  Mrs.  Wilson  of  my  danger  and  advised  her  immediate 
return  to  Rushville,  and  as  I  passed  through  the  office  heard 
the  clerk  say  to  Sheriff  Lincoln,  who  had  come  to  the  hotel  for 
the  purpose  of  examining  the  register,  "there  goes  Mr.  Layton 
now."  I  pretended  not  to  hear  this  remark  but  proceeded  to 
the  livery  stable,  and,  as  I  sallied  forth  astride  a  fine  horse,  the 
Sheriff  and  several  men  came  around  the  corner  of  the  hotel 
in  pursuit  of  me.  I  rode  the  horse  a  few  miles  and  then  left 
him  in  a  woods  pasture.  I  boarded  the  south  bound  passenger 
train  at  Amazonia,  and  on  reaching  the  woods  near  Norris' 
house  my  conductor  friend  stopped  and  let  me  off.  I  reached 
the  "log  cabin"  about  five  minutes  after  a  dozen  men  had  left 
it.  They  searched  the  house  for  me  and  again  declared  that 
only  my  head  would  satisfy  them — It  was  such  declarations  as 
the  above  that  made  "Polk  Wells  a  desperate  and  dangerous 
character,"  and  they  would  do  the  same  for  any  man  having  a 
spark  of  courage  in  his  soul. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Again  I  was  forced  to  take  refuge  in  the  woods,  and 
would  have  been  compelled  to  fight  my  way  to  liberty  through 
the  enemy's  lines,  or  obliged  by  hunger  to  surrender  but  for 
a  most  fortunate  and  unexpected  event,  which  was  as  delight- 
ful and  profitable  to  me  as  it  was  pleasing  and  dangerously  ro- 
mantic to  my  fair  friend,  who  was  the  lovely  daughter  of  a 
well-to-do  farmer,  who  himself  was  with  #,  party  which 
searched  the  cabin  for  me.  I  had  known  this  gentleman  (for 
he  was  such)  and  his  family  all  my  life,  and  had  once  befriend- 
ed his  little  daughter  who  was  now  a  charming  young  lady. 
She  remembered  my  kindness  and  while  I  was  in  jail  asked 
Nora  what  she  could  do  to  help  me.  "Get  your  pa  to  sign  his 
bond,"  was  Nora's  reply.  She  made  the  request  of  her  father, 
though  in  great  sympathy  with  me  refused  to  comply  with  her 
wishes.  Since  Dougherty  had  exposed  me  by  his  confession, 
and  "The  Mob"  having  embittered  his  mind  against  me  by  say- 
ing I  had  "designs  on  his  blooded  horses,"  the  old  farmer  be- 
came a  bold  and  aggressive  foe.  His  daughter,  however,  re- 
mained true,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  after  taking 
my  stand  in  the  woods,  I  chanced  to  meet  this  beautiful  girl 
in  the  path  as  she  was  returning  home  from  a  neighbor's  house. 
She  was  not  frightened  by  my  presence.  On  the  contrary  she 
was  heartily  glad  to  see  me,  and  expressed  her  great  sympathy 
for  me,  and  regrets  at  my  misfortunes  in  life,  complimented 
my  bravery  and  boldness  in  remaining  so  near  my  relentless 
enemies,  and,  after  thanking  me  again  for  my  kindness  to  her 
when  a  little  girl,  asked,  "Now,  Mr.  Wells,  is  there  anything 
I  can  do  for  you?"  "Yes,"  said  I,  "there  are  many  things  you 
can  do  to  assist  me,"  and  she  did  help  me  in  a  brave,  lady-like 
manner.  I  surrendered  myself,  wholly  and  unreservedly,  to 
the  guidance  of  this  angel  of  the  woods.  She  fed  me  with  the 
best  her  father's  table  afforded,  brought  me  papers  and  the 
latest  news  from  my  besiegers  every  day,  and  conveyed  a  note 
from  me  to  Nora,  who  gave  it  to  my  conductor  friend,  who 
circulated  the  news  that  he  had  taken  me  to  Kansas  City  on  his 
train,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second  week  my  beautiful  young 
friend  of  the  forest  informed  me  that  the  conductor's  report  had 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  199 

served  to  raise  the  siege,  and  that  the  enemy  had  concluded 
(since  Norris  could  not  be  found)  that  he  and  I  had  left  the 
country  together  and  returned  to  their  homes.  "Now,  Mr. 
Wells,"  said  my  little  star  of  the  woods,  "I  will  bid  you  good- 
bye, and  may  God  bless  you  and  keep  you  is  my  earnest 
prayer."  I  raised  the  lovely  hand  to  my  lips  and  impressed 
upon  it  a  burning  kiss  of  gratitude  and  reverence.  We  parted 
in  tears  and  have  never  seen  each  other  since  that  memorable 
eve. 

I  was  talking  to  a  young  lady  in  Atchison  one  evening 
when  she  suddenly  seized  my  hand  and  drew  me  into  her  pri- 
vate room.  "Remain  perfectly  quiet,"  she  said,  then  retired, 
locking  the  door  on  me.  I  was  completely  dazed  by  this  freak 
of  feminine  eccentricity.  She  quickly  returned  and  said,  "Mr. 
Wells,  some  gentlemen  wish  to  see  you  in  the  parlor."  When 
I  entered  the  room  Mr.  Mark  Taylor,  the  Sheriff  and  another 
gentleman  greeted  me.  I  have  spoken  of  Mr.  Taylor  on  an- 
other occasion,  and  who  now  said,  "Polk,  you  must  get  out  of 
this  city  before  dark  or  submit  to  arrest,  or  fight  your  way 
out,  for  officers  (naming  them)  are  planning  your  capture/' 
The  gentlemen  shook  my  hand  warmly,  bid  me  god-speed, 
returned  to  their  carriage  and  drove  rapidly  away.  My  lady 
friend  had  seen  the  gentlemen  get  out  of  the  carriage,  through 
the  window.  She  recognized  the  Sheriff  and  supposed  he  was 
after  me,  hence  her  mysterious  and  silent  conduct.  It  requires  a 
more  proficient  use  of  the  English  vocabulary  than  I  possess 
to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  many  favors  bestowed  upon 
me  by  these  gentlemen,  and  more  especially  by  these  good  and 
pure  young  ladies,  who  sought  to  befriend  me  at  the  risk  of 
incurring  public  calumny.  I  could  multiply  similar  favors  be- 
stowed by  young  ladies,  not  only  upon  myself  but  upon  other 
noted  outlaws  and  desperadoes,  but  it  is  unnecessary  and  I 
make  special  mention  of  these  two  young  ladies  simply  for  the 
purpose  of  pointing  out  a  melancholy,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, incomprehensible  fact  that  the  best  and  purest  women 
have  all  along  been  the  greatest  and  truest  frinds  to  the  crim- 
inal. 

After  kissing  the  lily-white  hand  which  fed  me  so  many 
days  in  the  woods,  I  hurried  up  the  ridge  to  a  point  overlooking 
Norris'  house,  and  made  the  usual  signal  which  brought  Al, 
Nora,  Mrs.  Norris,  Mr.  Wilson  and  his  two  wives  to  my  side.  A 
consultation  resulted  in  Wilson  and  myself  volunteering  to 
make  a  search  for  Bill  Norris,  whose  mysterious  disappearance 
had  well  nigh  stricken  his  wife  with  grief.  She  was  a  pure, 
high-minded  woman,  and  worshipped  the  notorious  Bill  with  a 
consuming  love.  After  Mrs.  Norris  left  the  party  Al  and  Nora 


200  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

seated  themselves  on  one  end  of  a  long-  log,  and  Wilson  and 
his  second  wife  on  the  other  end,  while  his  first  wife  and  myself 
sat  on  the  grass  some  distance  from  them.  I  thought  a  great 
deal  of  Fannie,  yet  my  affections  were  centered  in  the  woman 
on  the  end  of  the  log  at  my  left.  Fannie  honored  and  respected 
me  as  much  as  one  friend  could  another,  but  it  was  evident; 
from  the  longing  glances  she  cast  toward  Wilson  that  she  yet 
loved  him  to  distraction.  Al  and  Nora  were  sensibly  effected 
by  the  situation,  but  Wilson  and  "dear  Annie,"  as  he  called 
her,  seemed  oblivious  to  the  melancholy  surroundings.  Pres- 
ently we  arose,  as  if  by  common  consent,  came  together,  then 


Shot  Through  Knee  at  Riverton  (Iowa)  Bank  Robbery. 

each  received  and  bestowed  a  kiss  and  a  blessing  upon  the 
other.  We  then  parted  in  silence  and  in  tears.  Al  and  the 
three  women  returning  to  the  house,  while  Wilson  and  myself 
started  in  our  self-imposed  mission,  viz:  the  discovery  of  the 
lost  Bill. 

We  arrived  at  Cameron,  Missouri,  in  time  to  participate  in 
the  Fourth  of  July  celebration.  After  dinner  we  borrowed  two 
saddle  horses,  which  had  been  dressed  up  by  some  jockey  for 
trade,  they  proved  worthless  for  our  business  and  were  soon 
exchanged  for  a  pair  of  fine  black  mares.  Reaching  Fremont 
County,  Iowa,  we  learned  that  Bill  Norris  had  been  at  his 
uncle's  house,  but  had  started  home  the  day  before.  Wilson 
now  insisted  on  being  initiated  as  a  bank  or  train  robber.  The 
black  mares  were  too  large  and  fat  for  hard  riding,  and  were 
traded  for  a  little  gray  mare  and  a  sorrel  horse  that  suited. 
These  animals  belonged  to  neighboring  farmers,  living  three 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DAUIM;   DKKDS 


miles  north  of  Sidney,  Iowa.  At  Riverton,  the  next  morning, 
we  entered  a  saloon  to  get  some  lemonade,  as  neither  of  us 
drank  anything  stronger.  I  noticed  the  sign  "bank,"  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  asked  the  bar-keeper  for  infor- 
mation concerning  its  financial  standing  and  as  to  the  esteem 
in  which  its  proprietors  were  held  by  the  people.  His  reply 
was,  "The  bank  is  the  richest  one  in  the  county,  and  the  pro- 
prietor is  the  grandest  rascal  in  the  state."  We  entered  the 
bank  that  same  day,  July  Hth,  1881,  at  three  o'clock,  P.  M., 
and  ordered  the  cashier,  Mr.  Saxton,  to  open  his  safe.  While 
Wilson  held  a  pistol  on  him  I  collected  the  money,  amounting 
to  something  over  four  thousand  dollars.  We  then  passed  out 
at  the  back  door,  while  Mr.  Saxton  made  his  exit  by  the  front 
door,  shouting,  ''Robbers,  shoot,  shoot."  We  were  flying  up 
the  street  when  Mr.  Thomas,  a  merchant,  a  quick,  cool-headed 
fellow,  ran  to  the  door  with  his  Winchester  rifle  and  fired  at 
us,  the  ball  passing  through  the  center  of  my  left  knee,  inflict- 
ing a  wound  which  rendered  me  utterly  helpless,  and  came 
near  costing  me  my  life  ;  but  a  strong  will  and  healthy  consti- 
tution enabled  me  to  bear  the  pain  and  to  finally  regain  the 
use  of  my  leg. 

Some  fourteen  miles  south  of  town  we  entered  a  thick 
woods  which  was  surrounded  by  a  wheat  field.  Here  I  was 
taken  from  the  mare  and  laid  at  the  edge  of  a  small  stream  of 
clear  water,  with  which  I  bathed  my  wound,  which  continued 
to  bleed  for  thirty-six  hours.  I  was  so  weak  and  dizzy  from 
the  loss  of  blood  that  I  could  not  sit  up,  and  was  consequently 
compelled  to  remain  here  for  two  nights  and  two  days.  About 
ten  o'clock  of  the  third  night  I  decided  to  move  on  and  re- 
quested Wilson  to  lift  me  into  my  saddle.  We  soon  came  to 
a  large  barn,  from  which  Wilson  brought  forth  a  set  of  fine 
harness  and  a  double-seated  carriage,  to  which  we  hitched  the 
horses.  The  little  gray  mare  was  proud  as  a  peacock,  neck 
arched  beautifully,  and  possessed  vim1  and  excellent  bottom. 
It  did  my  soul  good,  and,  to  some  extent,  relieved  the  pain  in 
my  leg  to  see  her  trot.  We  remained  two  days  at  the  old  man 
Wilson's  house  and  then  started  for  Utica(  Missouri,  where  we 
expected,  by  appointment,  to  meet  the  two  wives  of  young 
Wilson.  We  were  traveling  in  a  covered  wagon  (having  left 
the  stolen  carriage  and  harness  in  the  woods,  where  they  were 
found  by  the  owner),  and  in  the  edge  of  Missouri  stopped  at 
a  farm  house  to  stay  over  night.  I  was  carried  in  and  laid  on 
a  bed.  The  farmer,  Mr.  James  Sego,  and  I  had  known  each 
other  for  years,  but  he  failed  to  recognize  me.  Some  of  his 
brothers  were  officers  of  the  law  and  had  been  after  me  on 
several  occasions,  therefore  I  preferred  to  remain  incognito 


202  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

while  in  his  house.  Two  days  later  the  old  man  Wilson  re- 
turned from  Utica  with  the  news  that  detectives  were  watch- 
ing the  women  in  the  hope  of  catching  his  son  and  myself; 
that  the  James  boys  had  just  robbed  the  train  at  Winston,  and 
that  the  country  was  alive  with  men  searching  for  them.  The 
old  gentleman  was  greatly  frightened,  and,  as  I  did  not  wish 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  young  Wilson's  liberty,  I  told  them  to 
leave  me  to  the  tender  mercies  of  fate,  and  consult  their  own 
safety  in  immediate  flight,  which  they  did. 

Several  parties  on  the  hunt  for  horse  thieves  or  robbers 
came  to  Mr.  Sego's  house  to  see  me,  but  the  old  farmer  assured 
them  that  I  was  an  "honest  man,"  so  each  company  retired 
without  searching  me.  Mr.  Sego  and  his  excellent  wife  were 
very  kind  to  me,  and  at  the  end  of  a  week  I  gave  him  twenty- 
five  dollars  to  take  me  home  in  his  spring  wagon.  Bill  Norris' 
mother  was  very  bitter  against  me  and  was  at  his  house  when 
we  arrived,  and  said  to  Mr.  Sego,  "Do  you  know  that  man?" 
pointing  to  me.  "No,  ma'am,"  he  replied.  "Well,  sir,  that  is 
Polk  Wells,  and  these  woods  and  hills  are  full  of  men  search- 
ing for  him,  and  you  are  likely  to  be  killed  for  one  of  his 
friends."  Mr.  Sego  was  terribly  frightened  by  this  news,  and, 
leaving  his  team  in  Norris'  lot,  hastened  to  Hairs  Station. 
Half  an  hour  later  Al,  Nora  and  Bill  were  at  my  side,  and  it 
was  decided  that  Norris  and  I  must  leave  the  country. 

We  left  home  in  a  covered  wagon.  The  officers,  however, 
learned  of  our  mode  of  traveling  (of  which  we  were  promptly 
informed  through  the  papers),  necessitating  a  change  in  our 
appearance.  The  wagon  sheet  and  some  other  articles  we 
dispensed  with,  therefore  our  outfit  was  not  so  easily  distin- 
guished as  before.  We  had  to  submit,  when  a  halt  was  neces- 
sary, to  a  most  careful  and  sympathetic  interrogation.  Every 
one  wanted  to  know  how  I  got  hurt  and  each  fellow  insisted  on 
my  using  his  infallible  remedy.  I  felt  grateful  for  the  sym- 
pathy bestowed  on  me  but  was  terribly  annoyed  by  questions, 
from,  the  fact  that  I  have  always  had  a  profound  regard  for 
veracity,  and  it  was  absolutely  necessary  in  almost  every  in- 
stance for  me  to  utter  a  falsehood  in  replying  to  my  sympa- 
thetic interrogators.  To  avoid  suspicion,  and  the  possibility 
of  entangling  ourselves,  we  were  obliged  to  keep  moving  dur- 
ing the  day,  which  made  it  very  hard  on  me.  I  was  not  out  of 
the  wagon  for  over  three  weeks,  during  which  time  we  trav- 
eled back  and  forth  through  the  northeast  portion  of  Missouri 
with  the  hot  sun  and  dust  pouring  down  on  me.  My  leg  was 
swollen  to  the  size  of  my  body,  and  was  black  as  tar.  I  could 
not  have  endured  what  I  did  had  Norris  been  less  patient  and 
kind  to  me.  He  was  scrupulously  exact  in  supplying  my  every 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  203 

want,  he  kept  a  keg  of  ice  in  the  wagon,  and,  as  it  melted,  drew 
the  water  and  poured  it  on  my  leg  as  I  required  it.  At  one 
time  he  thought  I  was  bound  to  die,  and"  urged  me  to  submit  »o 
medical  treatment,  but  I  peremptorily  refused  to  do  so.  I  krew 
my  case  would  not  bear  inspection,  and,  as  I  preferred  death 
rather  than  again  see  "The  Mob"  exult  over  my  capture,  I  re- 
quested Bill  to  continue  the  cold  water  applications  to  my  leg, 
the  swelling  in  which  began  to  decrease  and  the  flesh  gradu- 
ally resumed  its  natural  color. 

When  I  was  able  to  sit  up  our  lumber  cart  was  traded  off 
for  a  new  spring  wagon  in  which  traveling  became  a  luxury. 
We  crossed  the  Mississippi  at  Louisiana,  Missouri,  and  one 
evening,  about  September  first,  stopped  over  night  with  Mrs. 
Roundtree,  a  rich  widow,  living  in  the  bluffs  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  Jersey  County,  Illinois.  These  bluffs  extend  for 
miles  up  and  down  the  Illinois  River,  and  were  covered  with 
a  dense  growth  of  timber.  Mrs.  Roundtree's  neighbors  were 
the  most  improvident  and  non-progressive  people  I  have  ever 
met.  I  did  not  see  half  a  dozen  books  nor  a  daily  newspaper  in 
all  my  visitations  in  that  neighborhood.  The  widow  herself; 
however,  was  a  bright,  intelligent  woman,  and  evidently  had 
once  been  a  great  reader,  but  for  some  cause  or  other  her  li- 
brary had  dwindled  away  to  a  single  book,  which  was  the 
most  magnificent  Bible  I  have  ever  seen,  and  it  was  conspicu- 
ously placed  on  the  marble-top  center  table.  She  was  an  ac- 
complished housekeeper  and  an  excellent  cook.  A  lovely  niece 
and  one  hired  man  constituted  her  family.  The  locality  and 
its  general  surroundings  were  most  favorable  to  our  desires, 
and,  as  I  was  badly  in  need  of  quiet  and  rest,  we  decided  to  re- 
main a  week  or  two  with  the  genial  widow.  She  gladly  con- 
sented and  did  all  she  could  to  make  us  comfortable  and  happy. 

For  two  weeks  Norris  nursed  me  as  tenderly  as  if  I  were 
a  baby,  under  which  treatment,  together  with  the  cheery  pres- 
ence of  the  pleasant  widow  and  her  beautiful  niece,  I  rapidly 
grew  strong  and  when  able  to  mount  my  mare  without  assist- 
ance, Norris  said,  "It  is  time  we  were  doing  something,"  which 
of  course,  meant  robbery,  and  the  Jerseyville  Bank  was  select- 
ed as  a  suitable  victim.  On  the  way  to  the  city,  for  the  purpose 
named,  October  19th,  1881,  we  halted  at  Fieldon,  a  small  in- 
land town,  to  get  some  repairing  done  at  a  shoe  shop.  The 
proprietor  was  a  Missourian  and  soon  introduced  the  topic  of 
crime  and  noted  criminals.  He  had  considerable  to  say  about 
the  James  and  Younger  brothers,  but  dwelt  more  especially  on 
the  late  exploits  of  Polk  Wells,  and  expressed  the  wish  that 
"some  of  the  boys  would  come  along  and  rob  this  bank  in 
Fieldon."  I  carelessly  remarked  that  they  would  hardly  get 


204 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


paid  for  their  trouble,  whereupon  the  builder  of  boots  exclaim- 
ed, "You1  are  badly  mistaken,  sir,  that  bank  contains  over 
eighty  thousand  dollars  of  Jake  and  John  Radish's  money,  be- 
sides a  considerable  amount  belonging  to  the  banker  (Mr. 
Parks).  They  are  all  rascals  of  the  deepest  dye  and  it  would 
therefore  do  me  good  to  see  them  robbed."  I  had  had  several 
conversations  on  the  stock  raising  resources  of  the  west  with 
the  Radish's,  who  were  very  wealthy  gentlemen,  and  I  learned 
from  their  own  lips  that  they  were  collecting  money  with  a 
view  to  stock  raising  in  Texas.  But  I  gave  them  credit  for 
having  better  sense  than  to  deposit  large  sums  of  money  in  a 
village  bank,  which  opinion  proved  correct.  Burrus  (alias 


Robbing  the  Jerseyville    (111)    Bank. 


Norris),  after  leaving  the  shoe-shop,  remarked  that  eight  thou- 
sand dollars  was  double  the  amount  we  were  likely  to  get  out 
of  the  Jerseyville  Bank.  This  coupled  with  my  knowledge  of 
the  affairs  and  intentions  of  the  Radish  brothers,  and  the  fact 
that  they  lived  in  Fieldon,  together  with  the  shoemaker's  eri- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  205 

thusiasm,  momentarily  dwarfed  my  better  judgment;  hence  we 
proceeded  to  the  bank  and  requested  the  proprietor,  Dr.  Parks, 
to  open  his  safe,  from  which  I  took  sixteen  hundred  dollars  in 
greenbacks,  sixteen  hundred  dollars  in  gold  coin,  in  a  buckskin 
bag,  and  seventy-five  dollars  in  silver  coin,  in  a  cotton  bag. 
I  also  picked  up  a  package  containing  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  in  registered  bonds,  which  I  replaced  in  the  safe,  but 
took  the  doctor's  fine  gold  watch  and  diamond  pin  and  then 
retired. 

While  in  the  bank  I  noticed  an  old  rusty  Colt's  revolver, 
of  the  cap  and  ball  pattern  (once  the  pride  of  the  west)  hang- 
ing against  the  wall,  but  this  old  relic  of  the  past  caused  no 
serious  apprehensions,  so  I  left  it  undisturbed.  But  the  old 
thing  possessed  some  virtue  yet,  for  as  I  passed  the  front  door 
the  doctor  thrust  it  out  and  fired.  My  mare  dropped  as  if  shot 
through  the  heart,  pinning  me  to  the  ground  by  lying  on  my 
lame  leg.  After  a  persistent  and  painful  effort  I  succeeded  in 
freeing  myself,  but  the  doctor  continued  to  snap  his  old  pistol 
at  me  all  the  while.  Burris  finally  got  his  mare  under  control 
and  dashed  back  to  my  rescue.  I  gave  him  the  signal  not  to 
shoot  to  hit  anyone,  for  the  people  were  riveted  to  the  grouna 
with  astonishment  at  the  extraordinary  proceedings.  Lea-ving 
my  mare  lying  in  the  street,  I  sprang  up  behind  Burris  and 
rode  rapidly  away.  In  the  struggle  to  extricate  myself  I  lost 
my  hat,  some  silver  and  the  doctor's  watch,  all  of  which  lie- 
recovered.  The  mare  was  only  crazed,  therefore  soon  sprang  to 
her  feet,  more  surprised  than  hurt.  She  was  returned  to  her 
rightful  owner  by  Sheriff  Chandler  of  Fremont  County,  Towa. 
We  met  a  man  near  town,  and 'I  took  his  hat  and  gave  him 
a  handful  of  silver — he  reported  we  robbed  him  of  thirty  dol- 
lors.  A  little  further  on  we  met  a  young  man  riding.  I  re- 
lieved him  of  his  horse  and  sent  him  on  afoot.  We  now  made 
direct  for  Wisconsin. 

Some  distance  north  of  Peoria  we  stopped  to  stay  over 
night  with  an  old  farmer,  who  was  more  observant  and  inquis- 
itive than  wise.  I  awoke  early  next  morning  and  was  instinct- 
ively impressed  with  the  thought  that  someone  was  trying  to 
steal  our  money.  I  rushed  out  to  the  barn  where  I  had  hid  it 
at  the  bottom  of  the  manger  and  behold  it  was  gone.  I  heard 
something  at  the  side  of  the  barn  and  as  I  passed  around  the 
front  end  of  the  building  the  farmer  came  around  the  other, 
and  there  between  us  was  his  young  dog  vigorously  shaking 
our  money  bag.  The  dog  had  been  digging  for  rats  under  the 
side  of  the  barn,  and  when  the  bag  fell  into  his  hole,  he  seized 
it  and  drew  it  out  on  fair  ground.  He  had  torn  the  cotton  bag 
with  his  sharp  teeth,  and  had  consequently  strewn  the  silver 


206  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

about  in  a  most  promiscuous  manner.  The  farmer  drove  the 
dog  away  and  helped  to  collect  the  money.  The  gold  was  now 
divided,  placed  in  two  glass  fruit  jars,  which  were  buried  (one 
on  each  side  of  the  road)  near  Dixon,  Illinois.  The  silver  was 
disposed  of  by  giving  it  to  the  poor  children  where  we  stopped 
for  accommodations.  This  trip  was  fraught  with  trials,  hard- 
ships and  wild  adventures,  but  we  passed  through  it  all  in 
safety,  and  arrived  at  Oconomowac,  Wisconsin,  on  the  ninth 
day  of  November.  I  immediately  presented  myself  to  Mr.  P. 
H.  Davis,  harness  dealer  and  noted  horse  trainer,  who  was  a 
warm  friend  of  "Big  Mike,"  the  Kansas  Jesse  James. 

After  miy  release  from  jail  I  secured  the  services  of  Green 
and  Ramey  (two  of  the  best  lawyers  in  St.  Joseph),  in  Mike's 
behalf,  and  he  had  written  of  my  generosity  to  Mr.  Davis,  who 
received  me  with  open  arms,  and  introduced  me  to  his  friends 
as  his  cousin,  "Harry  Warner,"  from  Boston,  but  Burris  regis- 
tered at  the  hotel  as  "Frank  Johnson."  Mr.  Davis  finally  per- 
vailed  on  me  to  visit  his  father,  A.  T.  Davis,  a  wealthy  re- 
tired farmer  living  in  the  city  of  Beaver  Dam.  I  was  so  thor- 
oughly drilled  as  to  his  Boston  relations  that  I  readily  passed 
myself  on  the  old  gentleman  as  one  of  his  own  nephews.  He 
not  only  presented  me  to  his  excellent  wife  and  four  beautiful 
daughters  as  his  relative,  but  took  me  in  his  buggy,  drove 
about  the  city,  and  introduced  me  to  his  friends  and  a  number 
of  business  men  as  his  nephew,  "formerly  from  Boston,  but 
lately  from  Montana."  Everybody  was  eager  to  hear  from  the 
west,  and,  as  I  had  an  abundance  of  western  lore,  saved  my- 
self from  exposing  my  ignoran.ce  about  Boston  affairs  and  so- 
ciety. I  had  no  idea  of  remaining  with  Mr.  Davis  longer  than 
a  week  or  I  should  not  have  permitted  this  deception  to  go  so 
far ;  but  as  time  passed  I  was  compelled  to  continue  the  farce 
in  order  to  save  his  family,  as  well  as  myself,  from  exposure. 
I  moved  in  the  best  society  and  was  royally  entertained  on  sev- 
eral occasions  by  members  of  Beaver  Dam's  elite,  especially  so 
at  the  home  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Barritt,  cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank.  His  handsome,  accomplished  daughter  was  a  frequent 
caller  at  the  Davis  mansion,  and,  of  course,  I  was  invited  to 
call  on  her  in  company  with  my  cousins. 

Johnson  followed  me  to  Beaver  Dam  and  proposed  that 
we  establish  a  home  in  Wisconsin  instead  of  going  to  Texas 
as  agreed  upon  when  the  jars  of  gold  were  buried,  which  still 
remained  where  we  left  them.  I  accepted  Johnson's  proposi- 
tion, and  immediately  rented  the  Russell  house  in  Randolph, 
which  I  refitted  and  furnished  and  named  it  "Commercial  Ho- 
tel." Our  card  read :  "P.  H.  Davis  and  G.  A.  Warnica,  Pro- 
prietors, C.  H.  Warner  (myself),  Clerk."  We  also  run  a  har- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  207 


ness  shop,  feed  and  livery  stable  in  connection  with  the  hotel. 
But  Johnson  remained  in  Beaver  Dam  and  opened  a  gambling 
room  over  a  large  store.  He  sent  me  a  telegram  one  day  to 
"Come  in  haste."  When  I  arrived  he  was  lying  on  a  bed  moan- 
ing piteously.  "What  is  the  trouble,  old  boy?"  said  I,  shaking 
his  hand  warmly.  "Last  night,"  he  replied,  "while  the  clerks 
were  up  in  the  club  room,  burglars  entered  the  store,  and  as 
we  (members  of  the  club),  stepped  in  at  the  front,  they  sprang 
out  at  the  back  door,  locking  it  behind  them,  and  while  the 
clerk  was  searching  for  his  key,  I  leaped  through  the  back  win- 
dow after  the  robbers  and  fell  into  an  open  cellar,  striking  my 
breast  against  the  stone  wall.  Oh,  God,  I  am  nearly  dead."  I 
laughed  heartily  and  quoted,  "Thou  hypocrite,  first  cast  the 
beam  out  of  thine  own  eye,  and  then  thou  shalt  see  clearly  to 
cast  the  mote  out  of  thy  brother's  eye."  When  a  man  gratui- 
tously advertises  himself  as  being  very  religious  and  extreme- 
Iv  honest  and  patriotic,  it  is  generally  safe  to  put  him  down  as 
a  rogue ;  Johnson's  behavior  is  a  case  in  point.  He  wanted  to 
be  first  in  laying  hands  on  the  burglars,  whereby  he  hoped  to 
establish  a  reputation  for  courage  and  honesty.  His  misfor- 
tune, however,  favored  him  to  a  greater  extent  than  if  he  had 
succeeded  in  his  hypocritical  purpose.  Unstinted  praise  and 
sympathy  were  showered  upon  him  by  an  "appreciative  pub- 
lic," and  when  I  arrived  a  handsome  young  lady  was  devoting 
her  time  administering  to  his  wants  and  consoling  him  with 
her  most  winsome  smiles  and  sweetest  words  of  praise.  I 
shipped  his  furniture  to  Randolph  and  took  him  home  with 
me.  He  soon  got  well  and  declared  he  would  never  undertake 
to  catch  another  burglar. 

The  Commercial  Hotel  was  formally  opened  to  the  public 
on  the  tenth  of  February,  1882,  by  a  grand  ball  in  the  Clemens 
Hall,  and  supper  for  the  throng  was  served  at  the  Commercial, 
which  was  soon  crowded  with  excellent  guests,  among  them 
the  Honorable  H.  H.  Russell  and  family.  They  took  their 
meals  at  the  Commercial,  but  otherwise  occupied  their  own 
rooms  across  the  street.  We1  contemplated  starting  a  race 
track,  on  which  Mr.  Davis  was  to  train  young  horses  for  the 
New  York  market,  and  to  carry  out  this  plan  we  must  have  Al 
and  Nora  to  assist  Mrs.  Davis  with  the  hotel.  Accordingly 
Mr.  Davis  was  sent  to  Missouri  after  them.  He  returned  with 
Al  and  Mrs.  (Norris)  Johnson,  but  Nora  could  not  come  on  ac- 
count of  her  sister's  illness.  Al  and  Mrs.  Johnson  were  sent 
home,  the  latter  was  to  remain  on  her  farm,  but  Al  and  Nora 
were  to  return  overland,  bringing  their  two  teams  with  them. 

The  ground  on  which  to  locate  the  race  track  was  engaged 
and  a  large  house  filled  with  ice,  corn  and  hay  for  the  barn, 


208  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

and  wood  for  the  hotel  were  contracted  for  from  the  farmers. 
These  arrangements  having  been  satisfactorily  settled,  I  then 
tried  my  abilities  in  soliciting  transient  custom  for  the  Com- 
mercial. My  quick  wit,  sharp  repartee,  and  the  characteris- 
tic gallantry  of  my  French  ancestors  coupled  with  a  pleasant 
voice,  attractive  appearance  and 'a  ready  flow  of  speech,  made 
me  a  formidable  rival  in  courting  the  patronage  of  that  num- 
erous class  called  "drummers"  or  "commercial  travelers."  Mr. 
Clemens,  proprietor  of  the  Clemens  House,  a  good  natured  and 
honest  man,  was  my  competitor  for  this  trade. 

My  success  as  a  hotel  man  was,  I  must  say,  largely  due 
to  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Russell,  who  was  constantly  traveling 
on  business.  He  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  praise  of  the 
Commercial,  and  informed  traveling  men  that  we  conveyed 
our  patrons  wherever  they  wished  to  go  in  fine  buggies,  drawn 
by  eight  hundred  dollar  horses.  Besides  he  ordered  several 
oyster  suppers  with  champagne  accompaniment,  to  which  he 
invited  the  best  people  of  Randolph.  Among  those  with  whom 
I  became  most  intimate  through  his  influence  were  Mr.  John 
Lightner,  city  druggist;  Mr.  Coleman,  wholesale  and  retail 
hardware  dealer ;  Mr.  Evans,  dry  goods  and  grocery  merchant, 
and  Mr.  Foster,  a  Methodist  minister.  These  were  grand,  good 
people,  who  treated  me  royally,  and  whom  I  shall  ever  remem- 
ber with  love  and  gratitude.  Mrs.  Russell  gave  select  parties 
in  her  own  parlor  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  me  to  her 
young  lady  friends,  in  whose  presence,  as  well  as  that  of  all 
other  respectable  people,  I  felt  most  keenly  my  moral  infirmi- 
ty and  absolute  unworthiness.  Although  enjoying  their  com- 
pany, after  a  fashion,  my  happiest  hours  were  spent  in  com- 
pany with  Misses  Clara  Russell  and  Clara  Davis,  aged  thirteen 
and  eight  respectively.  They  called  me  "Uncle  Harry/'  and 
were  constantly  at  my  side  when  at  home.  I  was  playing  the 
violin,  they  accompanying  me  on  the  piano.  Mrs.  Russell  and 
Mrs.  Davis  heard  the  fearful  noise  we  were  making  in  the  par- 
lor, and  tip-toed  to  the  door  to  witness  the  performance.  I 
happened  to  look  around,  and,  seeing  them,  stopped  playing, 
whereupon  Mrs.  Russell  said,  "Mr.  Warner,  I  really  think  you 
are  the  greatest  baby  man  I  ever  met/'  "I  too,"  echoed  Mrs. 
Davis.  They  laughed  heartily,  and  after  making  some  com- 
ments on  the  quality  and  volume  of  our  music,  walked  away. 
They  often,  but  good  naturedly,  twitted  me  for  being  so  play- 
ful and  childlike  in  my  behavior,  yet  were  highly  pleased  with 
the  fact  that  I  loved  their  babies."  My  love  for  children  is  pure 
and  natural,  and,  when  attacked  by  the  ladies  on  account  of  my 
fondness  for  them,  quoted  His  words,"  "Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  nie,"  etc. 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


209 


D.A.Farrell 
Sheriff  of 
Mills 
County, 
Glen  wood, 
Iowa, 
Captor  of 
Polk  Wells. 


Samuel 
Chandler, 
Sheriff  of 
Fremont 
County, 
Sidney,  la., 
who 
located 
Polk    Well 
but  took  no 
part  in  his 
Capture. 


210  '  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


Samuel  Chandler  and  Dan  Farrell,  Sheriffs  of  Fremont 
and  Mills  Counties,  Iowa,  learning  of  my  whereabouts,  and 
accompanied  by  R.  E.  Thomas,  Marshal  of  Beaver  Dam,  Wis- 
consin, arrived  at  Randolph  February  24th,  on  the  eight  P. 
M.  train.  Next  morning,  shortly  after  breakfast,  they  arrested 
Johnson  (Norris)  in  the  harness  shop.  He  was  handcuffed, 
heavily  shackled  and  left  in  charge  of  Sheriff  Chandler,  while 
the  other  two  officers  proceeded  to  the  hotel  to  effect  my  cap- 
ture. My  pearl  handled  pistols,  which  I  was  never  without, 
were  the  finest  in  the  land,  and  the  belt  and  holsters  were  made 
in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  under  my  immediate  supervision.  The 
curves  on  the  latter,  coming  up  over  the  trigger  guards,  were 
made  extra  strong  in  order  to  prevent  the  pistols  bouncing  out 
when  riding  rapidly,  and,  as  I  had  decided  to  ride  my  fine  sad- 
dle mare  down  to  Beaver  Dam  to  see  Miss  Davis,  the  pistols 
were,  therefore,  settled  firmly  into  their  holtsers.  The  officers, 
being  joined  by  Mr.  Russell,  entered  the  hotel  office,  and  Mr. 
Davis  stepped  to  the  door  and  called,  "Harry,  some  gentlemen 
wish  to  see  you."  This  was  a  daily  and  almost  hourly  occur- 
rence, as  farmers,  book  agents,  insurance  men,  and  commercial 
travelers  called  at  the  hotel  to  see  me  on  business  pertaining 
to  their  respective  vocations,  and  as  all  were  alike  strangers. 
I  wras  therefore  perfectly  unconscious  of  the  danger  awaiting 
me.  Had  I  been  expecting  an  attack  at  that  moment  the  sight 
of  two  men  would  not  in  the  least  have  aroused  any  appre- 
sion  or  affected  my  nerves,  as  it  never  occurred  to  me  that 
less  than  twenty  men  would  ever  undertake  my  capture ;  not 
that  I  considered  myself  such  a  great  man,  but  that  the  people 
generally  magnified  my  powers  of  resistance,  consequently, 
having  finished  my  toilet,  I  walked  boldly  and  confidently  into 
the  office  and  stepped  to  within  three  feet  of  the  officers  and 
said,  ''Good  morning,  gentlemen."  Sheriff  Farrell  bowed  po- 
litely and  said,  "How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Warner?  Please  step 
outside  as  I  have  special  business  with  you."  "Wait  one  mo- 
ment, sir,  until  I  get  my  hat,"  and  making  a  courteous  bow  I 
passed  into  the  dining  room  after  it.  The  Sheriff  stepped 
softly  into  the  room  behind  me  and  said,  "I  can  tell  you  what 
I  want  right  here."  I  wheeled  around  to  hear  what  he  had  to 
say,  but  words  were  not  necessary  to  explain  his  wants,  as  the 
first  thing  my  eye  met  was  the  glaring  muzzle  of  a  six  shooter 
within  a  loot  of  my  breast,  and  with  the  finger  of  a  brave,  de- 
termined man  on  its  sensitive  trigger.  Quick  as  a  flash  my 
hand  grasped  the  butt  of  a  pistol,  which  I  had  some  difficulty 
in  drawing  owing  to  the  curves  over  the  trigger  guard  hereto- 
fore mentioned.  My  right  hand  being  drawn  back  threw  me 
sidewise,  presenting  my  left  breast  to  the  Sheriff.  He  fired, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


the  ball  entering  my  breast  a  little  to  the  right  and  above  the 
left  nipple,  passing  diagonally  through  the  lungs.  I  sprang 
back  to  prevent  him  jumping  on  me.  He  followed  and  fired 
again  but  missed  his  aim.  The  next  shot  was  mine,  the  ball 
making  a  scalp  wound  above  and  a  little  back  of  the  left  ear. 
He  pitched  forward,  and  I,  thinking  him  dead,  turned  to  shoot 
the  Marshal,  who  was  now  flying  toward  the  street  door.  I 
had  recovered  from  the  shot  produced'  by  the  Sheriff's  first 
bullet,  and  could  easily  have  killed  the  Marshal,  but  my  fath- 
er's words,  "Never  strike  a  man  in  the  back,"  were  as  truly  a 
safeguard  to  him  as  if  the  Chinese  wall  had  been  between  us. 
The  Sheriff,  instead  of  falling  as  I  had  anticipated,  recovered, 
and  while  my  face  was  toward  his  contemptible  colleague, 
fired  at  me  again,  the  bullet  entering  the  back  part  of  my 
head,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  occipital  protuberance,  passed 
around  the  skull  and  came  out  at  the  edge  of  the  hair,  directly 
above  the  right  eye.  I  again  wheeled  around  to  confront  ny 
terrible  and  determined  foe,  but  could  not  see  him(  as  his  shot 
had  not  only  blinded  me  but  momentarily  stunned  and  con- 
fused my  mind,  and  before  I  could  recover  my  antagonist 
closed  with  me  in  a  life  and  death  struggle.  Around  and 
around  we  went  over  tables  and  chairs,  the  former  yet  covered 
with  the  breakfast  dishes  which  were  scattered  hither  "ind 
thither.  Mrs.  Davis,  with  baby  in  her  arms,  stood  in  one  door 
and  the  hired  girls  in  another,  screaming  at  the  top  of  their 
voices  as  the  fight  progressed,  turning  the  room  into  a  perfect 
pandemonium.  While  waltzing  around  to  our  own  music,  we 
each  fired  two  shots,  but  neither  took  effect.  We  finally  fell, 
side  by  side  on  the  floor,  discharging  our  pistols  at  the  same 
time.  I  was  shot  through  the  left  wrist,  and  the  Sheriff  slight- 
ly wounded  in  the  left  shoulder.  My  wounds  bled  freely,  and 
being  almost  blinded  with  my  own  blood,  coupled  with  the 
last  shot  in  the  wrist,  which  numbed  my  arm,  causing  me  to 
drop  my  pistol,  gave  my  worthy  foe  a  momentary  advantage 
over  me.  He  had  but  one  pistol  which  was  now  empty,  while 
I  had  another,  loaded,  in  my  belt,  and  was  making  frantic  ef- 
forts to  get  it  out,  but  the  position  in  which  I  lay  (on  my  left 
side  )  prevented  my  doing  so,  and  hence  gave  up  the  unequal 
task  of  holding  a  strong  man  with  one  hand  while  trying  to 
draw  a  pistol  with  the  other,  and  "set  my  face  like  a  flint,"  de- 
termined to  win  the  fight  or  die  in  the  attempt,  and  was  about 
to  attack  the  officer  with  my  sharp,  strong  teeth,  which  have 
helped  me  out  on  several  occasions  when  other  resources  failed 
The  Sheriff  doubtless  divined  my  thoughts,  and,  seeing  fhe 
formidable  rows  of  ivory  shouted,  "Help,  help."  The  bravo 
Marshal  (?)  slipped  back  to  the  door  and  seeing  us,  and  my 


212 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


pistol  ten  feet  away  laying  on  the  floor,  mentally  remarked, 
"Now  is  the  time  to  show  my  courage  and  win  the  laurels  that 
justly  belong  to  another/'  "Suiting  his  actions  to  his  thoughts/' 
as  Mrs.  Holmes  would  say,  he  tip-toed  across  the  room,  picked 
up  my  pistol,  threw  his  two  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  avoir- 
dupois on  my  prostrate  form  and  commenced  pounding  me 
on  the  head  with  the  heavy  weapon.  The  first  blow  caused 
my  nerves  to  relax,  and  the  second  completely  paralyzed  my 
whole  frame,  yet  I  was  conscious  of  all  that  was  said  or  done, 


Polk  Weils  Captured  at  Randolph,  Wisconsin. 

and  finding  myself  powerless  to  act  and  no  one  likely  to  ccme 
tq  my  aid,  I  concluded  that  it  was  worse  than  madness  to  fight 
against  such  powerful  odds  and, thereby  lose  my  life,  so  I  said, 
"Gentlemen,  I  surrender."  But  the  brave  Marshal  ( ?)  had  not 
his  courage-  aroused  for  nothing,  and  so  he  struck  me  two 
more  heavy. blows  on  the  head,  whereupon  the  Sheriff  cursed 
him.;  "D— — n  you,  stop  when  the  man  says  enough,"  said  he. 
I  was '.raised  to  my  feed  bleeding  furiously,  and  led  away  to  the 
other  hotel:  Here  I  was  disarmed,,  laid- on  a  Ipunge  and  a  doc- 
tor summoned  to  dress- my  wounds;  he^did  nothing;  however, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  213 

but  take  a  couple  of  stitches  in  the  gashes  cut  in  my  head  by 
the  Marshal.  Norris  sat  close  by  heavily  ironed  and  looked  the 
very  picture  of  despair.  I  felt  much  worse  over  our  capture  on 
his  account  than  my  own.  We  boarded  the  west  bound  train  at 
eight  P.  M.,  and  of  all  the  acquaintances  and  friends  I  had 
made  in  Randolph,  there  were  only  two  who  showed  any  sym- 
pathy or  had  the  courage  to  bid  me  good-bye.  Those  two  were 
Mrs.  Russell  and  her  little  daughter,  Clara.  The  former  shook 
my  hand  warmly,  and  the  latter  put  her  arms  around  my  neck, 
kissed  me  tenderly  and  said,  "Farewell,  Uncle  Harry." 

Mr.  H.  E.  Davis,  my  supposed  uncle,  and  father  of  my 
partner,  P.  H.  Davis,  is,  or  was,  an  honest  gentleman  in  every 
sense  that  the  word  implies ;  his  wife  and  daughters  were  as 
perfect  ladies  as  I  have  ever  met  and  were  as  kind  to  me  as  I 
could  wish  a  real  relative  to  be.  The  old  gentleman,  at  my  re- 
quest, gave  me  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  F.  F.  Zimmer- 
man, carriage  manufacturer,  of  Waupun,  who,  shaking  my 
hand  warmly,  said  I  could  have  all  the  vehicles  I  wanted  and 
on  time  to  suit  my  own  convenience.  I  ordered  one  buggy  and 
two  extra  heavy  platform-spring  wagons,  but  they  were  not 
yet  delivered  when  I  was  called  away.  I  next  purchased  a 
piano  of  Messrs.  Hawley  &  Hawley,  music  dealers,  of  Beaver 
Dam.  When  the  instrument  was  delivered  at  the  hotel  I  paid 
part  down,  and  gave  my  note  for  two  hundred  dollars,  payable 
in  sixty  days,  for  which  Mr.  Davis  gave  them  a  check  on  the 
bank.  When  my  real  name  and  character  were  unfolded,  by 
arrest,  Beaver  Dam  society  ostracized  him  and  his  innocent 
family.  His  introducing  me  as  his  nephew,  together  with  the 
piano  and  wagon  trade  were  subjects  of  discussion  in  the  par- 
lor, on  the  street  and  rehearsed  in  the  daily  papers.  His  daugh- 
ters could  not  go  on  the  street  without  being  subjected  to  such 
remarks  as,  "Hello  Polk  Wells,"  and,  "Where,  oh,  where,  is 
Mr.  Warner."  Mr.  Davis  was  shunned  by  old  friends,  openly 
accused  of  being  accessory  to  my  crimes,  and  of  sharing  in  the 
profits  thereof.  I  admit  that  the  circumstances  in  the  case  were 
very  discrediting  to  his  character,  and  carried  with  them  an  al- 
most unquestionable  proof  of  his  guilt,  but  I  most  solemnly 
declare  that  he  was  absolutely  ignorant  of  my  real  name  or 
calling  until  I  was  arrested.  No  words  I  can  put  together  will 
express  the  regret  I  feel  for  having  brought  shame  to  the  face, 
and  disgrace  upon  the  character  of  this  noble  man  and  his  fam- 
ily. As  for  his  son,  P.  H.  Davis  I,  have  no  apology  to  offer. 

The  news  of  my  capture  spread  rapidly  and  when  we 
reached  Portage  the  depot  was  crowded  with  people  eager  to 
see  me.  Here  Sheriff  Farrell  had  a  skillful  surgeon  dress  my 
wounds.  Next  morning  we  arrived  at  Chicago  and  were  taken 


214  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

to  police  headquarters  to  await  the  west  bound  train  at  one 
o'clock  P.  M.  Sheriff  Farrell  went  out  to  get  my  breakfast, 
and  returned  in  time  to  hear  a  blood-curdling  remark  by  the 
Police  Captain,  who  had  been  looking  at  my  pistols.  The 
Sheriff's  eyes  flashed  fire  as  he  said,  "that's  my  prisoner,  sir, 
and  you  can't  abuse  him  in  my  presence,  whereupon  the  Cap- 
tain disappeared  and  one  of  his  own  men  said,  ''No  brave  man 
will  abuse  or  wound  the  feelings  of  a  prisoner,  either  by  word 
or  act  if  he  can  possibly  avoid  it,"  and  complimented  the  Sher- 
iff for  his  timely  rebuke.  On  account  of  my  bunk,  on  which  I 
left  the  hotel,  we  were  obliged  to  ride  in  a  mail  car,  and  about 
midnight  the  officers  went  to  sleep,  and  when  the  train  stopped 
at  a  small  station,  Norris  slipped  out  of  the  car.  I  tried  to 
follow  but  could  not.  The  train  gave  a  sudden  jerk  in  start- 
ing that  the  officers  were  awakened  and  started  in  pursuit  of 
the  fugitive ;  he  was  recaptured  and  returned  to  the  car  in  tri- 
umph by  Sheriff  Chandler.  Every  station  was,  during  day- 
light, lined  with  people  who  were  anxious  to  see  me  and  offer- 
ed money  for  that  privilege.  I  could  have  sold  a  thousand  dol- 
lars' worth  of  pictures  if  I  had  had  them  on  this  trip. 

We  were  met  at  the  depot  at  Sidney,  Iowa,  by  a  large 
crowd  of  people  who  escorted  us  to  the  jail.  Norris  was  put 
into  the  "cage,"  while  I  was  kept  in  a  side  room  adjoining  the 
Sheriff's  house,  and,  by  order  of  the  court,  was  given  the  best 
medical  treatment  the  city  afforded.  Thomas  Hatton  and 
Tinker  Wells  (not  related  to  me)  were  engaged  to  guard  and 
wait  upon  me.  Mr.  Hatton  was  exceedingly  kind,  careful  and 
obliging,  and  Dr.  Stephens  (an  old  Missourian)  treated  me 
tenderly  and  skillfully  and  responded  to  my  every  wish  or 
want  as  readily  as  if  I  were  a  prince.  I  shall  ever  remember 
these  two  grand,  noble-hearted  men  with  feelings  of  love  and 
gratitude. 

I  confessed  to  robbing  the  Riverton  Bank,  but  exonerated 
Norris,  who  was  immediately  discharged.  I  did  this  to  keep 
the  Missouri  or  Kansas  officers  from  getting  him,  and  hop- 
ing th?t  he  and  other  friends  would  rescue  me  before  court 
convened,  the  latter  part  of  March.  The  people  from  far  and 
near  came  to  see  me.  The  gentlemen  brought  cigars,  tobacco 
and  apples,  and  expressed  great  sympathy,  while  the  young 
ladies  brought  nuts,  candies  and  other  sweetmeats  as  their 
offerings  of  good  wishes  and  compassion  for  me.  The  bank- 
er's daughter,  a  charming  lass  of  sixteen  summers,  said,  "Mr. 
Wells,  I  really  hope  you  may  get  an  opportunity  to  escape." 
Messrs.  Morgan  and  Simon,  editors  of  the  Democrat  and 
Union,  called  quite  often  to  see  me.  They  treated  me  kindly, 
and  correctly  reported  me  in  their  papers.  Mrs.  Chandler. 


Excni.xc   DAYS  AND   DARIN*,    DKKHS 


the  sheriff's  wife,  was  very  kind  and  attentive.  Every  day 
she  brought  something  nice  in  her  own  hands  for  me,  and 
made  the  best  lemon  pies  I  ever  ate.  For  these  expressions 
ui  sympathy  and  acts  of  kindness  from  the  gentlemen,  young 
and  old  ladies,  editors  and  Mrs.  Chandler,  I  was  then  and  am 
still  thankful,  and  I  shall  ever  pray  God's  richest  blessings 
for  them. 

On  the  '25th  of  March,  Sheriffs  Chandler  and  Farrell  as- 
sisted me  into  court.  I  plead  guilty  to  the  charge,  where- 
upon Judge  Reed  sentenced  me  to  ten  years,  at  hard  labor, 
in  the  penitentiary  at  Fort  Madison.  Next  morning  Sheriff 
Chandler  and  Thomas  Hatton  started  with  W.  O.  Fimple  and 
myself  for  the  prison.  We  traveled  in  a  spring  wagon  from 
Sidney  to  Riverton,  where  we  had  to  wait  some  time  for  the 
train.  I  was  taken  into  the  depot  and  laid  on  the  floor.  The 
room  was  soon  filled  with  the  town's  people,  many  of  whom 
grasped  my  hand  in  a  most  friendly  manner,  inquired  of  my 
health,  and  complimented  my  courage  and  determined  fight 
with  Sheriff  Farrell.  Presently  the  postmaster  (Mr.  Spears, 
who  had  been  to  Missouri  with  Sheriff  Chandler  in  search  of 
me,  and  who  had  found  in  the  woods  one  of  my  old  crutches, 
which  he  brought  home  with  him),  accompanied  by  a  dozen 
young  ladies,  entered  the  room,  shook  hands  with  me,  and  in- 
troduced me  to  the  ladies,  among  whom  were  six  daughters 
of  the  banker  I  had  robbed,  and  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Thomas, 
the  man  who  shot  me  when  leaving  the  bank.  This  beauti- 
ful girl  presented  her  album  for  my  autograph,  in  which  I 
wrote:  "Kind  miss,  I  entertain  no  ill  feeling  toward  your 
father  for  shooting  me,  but  rather  respect  and  honor  him  for 
doing  his  duty,"  to  which  I  attached  my  signature.  She  read 
it  and  said,  "Mr.  Wells,  I  heartily  thank  you  for  this  state- 
ment." When  the  albums  were  exhausted  the  depot  agent 
furnished  the  ladies  with  strips  of  paper,  on  which  I  wrote  my 
name.  I  was  thus  kept  busy  until  our  train  arrived,  where- 
upon I  bade  these  good  people  farewell  and  was  lifted  into  the 
passenger  coach.  Here  our  party  was  joined  by  Sheriff  Far- 
rail  and  four  deputies,  who  remained  with  us  to  the  end  of  our 
journey. 

Ed  Prather,  a  devoted  friend  of  "Big  Mike's,"  got  a  few 
of  the  boys  together,  intending  to  rescue  me  from  the  officers, 
the  failure  of  which  was  caused  by  a  delay  in  the  branch  train 
from  St.  Joseph,  therefore  our  train  had  passed  the  junction 
an  hour  before  the  rescuing  party  arrived,  and  thus  a  bloody 
encounter  was  providentially  averted,  for  Prather  and  his 
comrades  were  brave,  resolute  men,  and  would  have  made  a 
desperate  effort  to  take  me  from  the  officers. 

There  was  on  the  train  a  commercial  traveler,  who,  hear- 


216  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  of  my  presence,  came  into  our  car  and  engaged  me  in  con- 
versation. Mr.  Yocum,  that  being  the  gentleman's  name,  said 
his  mother  was  a  Wells  and  claimed  to  be  a  cousin  of  mine, 
and  on  her  account  he  would  be  glad  to  assist  me  in  an  honor- 
able way.  I  noticed  the  "all  seeing  eye"  (emblem  of  Odd  Fel- 
lowship) pinned  to  his  vest,  and  gave  him  the  usual  sign, 
which  he  recognized,  and,  grasping  my  hand,  asked,  "Where 
do  you  belong?"  "Wyoming,  Mountain  Lodge  No.  3,"  was 
my  reply.  I  revealed  my  membership  in  order  that  he  might 
console  his  mother  with  the  fact  that  I  was  once  a  respected 
and  honest  man  (for  no  known  rascal  can  join  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows), and  not  the  thief  from  birth,  as  represented  by  some 
shallow  newspapers  and  more  shallow  hereditary  theorists.  He 
was  now  doubly  proud  of  his  relation  to  me,  and  expressed 
his  indignation  at  my  having  to  ride  in  the  same  car  with  a 
"common  horse  thief,"  referring  to  W.  O.  Fimple,  who  was 
heavily  ironed  and  sat  opposite  us.  Our  conversation  attract- 
ed no  special  attention  until  the  alert  ears  of  Sheriff  Chandler 
caught  the  words,  "Lodge  No.  3,"  to  which  he  attached  an 
ambiguous  and  deadly  meaning,  and  regarded  my  friend  as  an 
outlaw  and  emissary  of  the  rescuing  party;  consequently  he 
seated  himself  near  us,  where  he  remained  until  Mr.  Yocum 
left  the  train  at  Creston.  I  tried  to  explain  the  mystic  figure 
"3"  to  Sheriff  Chandler,  but  he  would  not  accept  my  story, 
and,  no  doubt,  believes  to  this  day  that  the  stranger  was  a 
desperado  and  comrade  of  mine.  I  was  suffering  intense  pain, 
which,  now  that  my  friend  had  withdrawn  his  cheerful  pres- 
ence and  sympathy,  became  almost  unendurable ;  therefore 
Sheriff  Farrell  telegraphed  a  surgeon,  at  Chariton,  to  meet 
us  at  the  depot.  The  doctor  responded  promptly,  and  gave  me 
a  hypodermic  injection  directly  over  the  pain  in  my  breast, 
after  which  I  fell  off  into  a  peaceful  slumber  and  did  not 
awake  until  our  arrival  at  Burlington.  Here  we  changed  cars 
for  Fort  Madison,  which  place  we  reached  at  8:30  a.  m.,  and 
were  driven  immediately  to  the  prison.  In  the  turnkey's  of- 
fice I  was  placed  in  a  barber  chair  and  carried,  by  two  gentle- 
men in  stripes,  into  the  hospital,  where  A.  W.  Hoffmeister, 
the  prison  physician,  examined  my  wounds.  He  said  he  could 
do  nothing  for  me ;  that  I  must  be  patient  and  trust  nature  to 
effect  a  cure,  and  laughingly  remarked  that  he  would  turn 
me  "over  to  the  care  of  the  chaplain/' 

Sheriffs  Chandler  and  Farrell,  after  visiting  through  the 
prison,  returned  to  the  hospital  to  bid  me  good-bye,  and  to 
inquire  what  they  should  do  with  my  clothes  and  pistols.  I 
gave  my  fine  overcoat  to  Thomas  HSatton,  my  kind  and  faith- 
ful nurse,  and  directed  my  other  clothes  sent  to  Al  and  Nora. 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  217 

I  sold  one  of  the  pistols  to  Sheriff  Chandler  and  gave  the 
other  to  Sheriff  Farrell,  as  a  token  of  my  appreciation  of  his 
kindness  to  me,  and  further  as  a  mark  of  my  respect  and  ad- 
miration of  his  dauntless  courage.  He  is,  without  doubt,  one 
of  the  bravest  men  of  the  age.  I  do  not  say  this  because  he 
captured  me,  but  because  the  facts  in  the  case  warrant  it. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

When  the  "big  gate"  closed  behind  me  1  felt  that,  so  far 
as  I  was  concerned,  the  joys  of  this  life  had  practically  ended, 
and  when  the  kind  words  of  Sheriff  Farrell  ceased  to  ring  in 
my  ears,  a  feeling  of  inexpressable  sadness  and  loneliness 
seized  upon  me.  A  dozen  or  more  convicts,  all  as  silent  and  mo- 
tionless as  statues,  sat  about  the  room,  apparently  exulting 
over  my  misfortune.  The  hospital  steward,  too,  regarded  me 
with  a  fiendish-like  expression  of  satisfaction  on  his  otherwise 
handsome  countenance,  and  seemed  to  rejoice  in  my  sad  con- 
dition and  depressed  feelings.  Even  the  huge  stone  walls  ap- 
peared to  look  down  on  me  in  special  triumph,  as  if  to  say, 
"We  told  you  so."  After  this  hasty  view  of  the  situation,  I 
spread  a  handkerchief  over  my  face  to  shut  out  the  somber, 
melancholy  scene,  and  soon  drifted  into  a  troublesome  slum- 
ber, in  which  the  world  appeared  to  be  passing  in  review. 
The  whole  earth  was  covered  with  zebras  walking  on  their 
hind  legs,  and  at  their  sides  were  huge  elephants,  also  walk- 
ing erect,  directing  them  with  their  trunks.  I  was  aroused 
from  this  horrid  nightmare  by  a  terrible  "clang"  nearby, 
which  proved  to  be  the  prison  dinner  bell.  I  looked  out  on 
the  yard  through  the  window  and  beheld  my  dream  virtually 
realized.  Long  lines  of  erect  figures  were  moving  in  every 
direction.  After  rubbing  my  eyes  and  collecting  my  thoughts, 
I  saw  that  the  zebras  were  really  men  dressed  in  striped  cloth- 
ing. The  elephants  also  proved  to  be  men,  arrayed  in  citi- 
zens' garb,  and  their  trunks  were  simply  huge  hickory  clubs, 
carried  in  their  hands,  and  I  saw  that  instead  of  the  various 
lines  marching  in  different  directions,  as  I  first  supposed,  the 
whole  menagerie  were  pointed  toward  a  common  center — the 
dining-room.  Next  morning  when  the  doctor  arrived  at  the 
hospital  about  twenty-five  prisoners  were  marched  in  for 
treatment.  They  were  afflicted  with  all  sorts  of  ailments, 
from  a  pain  in  the  toe  to  quick  consumption.  The  expression 
on  some  of  their  faces  and  writhing  of  the  body  would  have 
done  justice  to  a  professional  contortionist,  and  I  really  ex- 
pected to  see  some  of  them  expire  before  their  cases  could  be 
reached.  They  stood  in  line,  like  men  at  a  public  delivery 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DAKINC   DKKDS 


819 


window  in  a  postoffice  waiting  their  turn  to  be  served.  This 
scene  was  repeated  every  morning-,  and  I  watched  the  per- 
formance with  renewed  interest  and  profit.  Some  of  the  men 
were  excused  for  a  few  days  from  work,  others  put  to  bed, 
and  those  whom  the  doctor  had  reason  to  believe  were  "play- 
ing* sick  to  get  rid  of  work"  were  treated  to  a  "fly-blister," 
which  usually  convinced  them  that  the  remedy  was  worse 
than  the  disease. 

Charles  Cook  and  George  Fitzgerald  were  both  prisoners. 
The  latter  was  at  work  in  one  of  the  contract  shops,  and  had 
about  six  months  yet  to  serve.  Cook  was  acting  as  assistant 
hospital  steward,  and  his  time  expired  June  first.  He  was 
trusted  both  inside  and  outside  of  the  prison,  and  was,  there- 


Life  in  Fort  Madison  (Iowa)  Penitentiary. 


fore,  familiar  with  all  the  possible  avenues  of  escape.  His 
mind  had  been  poisoned  with  the  notoriety  accorded  me,  and, 
thinking  he  would  be  a  great  fellow  if  he  should  succeed  in 
scaling  the  prison  wall  with  me,  he  made  a  proposition  to  that 
effect,  which  I,  at  first,  spurned  to  consider,  as  I  thought  he 
had  been  prompted  by  the  officers  to  ascertain  whether  I  en- 
tertained such  an  idea.  I  listened  patiently,  however,  to  all 
he  said.  Every  word  he  uttered  was  music  in  my  ear,  and  my 
soul  rapidly  filled  with  hope  of  freedom  as  he  unfolded  his 
plans  of  escape.  "There  is,"  he  said,  "only  an  inch  board,  with 


220  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

a  sheet  of  tin  on  it  (the  hospital  roof)  between  us  and  liberty. 
All  we  have  to  do  is  to  tie  the  night  guard,  cut  through  the 
roof,  step  from  this  onto  the  cell  room  roof,  which  joins  the 
east  wall,  over  which  passes  within  easy  reach,  a  guy  running 
from  the  top  of  a  smokestack  to  an  anchor  on  the  outside  of 
the  wall."  I  had  nothing  to  lose,  and  everything  to  win,  by 
accepting  this  proposition,  which  I  did  after  convincing  myself 
that  he  was  in  earnest  and  his  plan  of  escape  practicable.  On 
the  twenty-third  of  April  Fitzgerald  and  six  other  men,  all 
with  measles,  were  brought  into  the  hospital  for  treatment. 
The  doctor  now  ordered  a  strict  quarantine  on  the  room, 
which  contained  twelve  prisoners,  including  myself.  The  hos- 
pital steward  remained  on  duty  from  seven  a.  m.  until  seven 
p.  m.,  when  Mr.  John  Elder,  seventy-three  years  of  age,  took 
charge  for  the  night.  Cook  soon  got  an  opportunity  to  speak 
with  Fitzgerald,  who  readily  agreed  to  join  us  in  a  move  for 
liberty.  By  Sunday,  April  thirtieth,  the  men  were  all  well 
and  seated  around  the  stove.  I  saw  a  vacant  chair  beside 
Fitzgerald,  and  asked  to  be  placed  in  it  until  my  bed  could 
be  stirred  up.  Fitzgerald,  in  reply  to  my  question  as  to 
whether  he  really  understood  the  nature  of  our  proposition, 
and  fully  knew  his  own  mind  concerning  it,  said,  "Yes,  sir; 
and  if  you  think  I  am  not  in  earnest,  I  will  take  the  initiative 
step,"  that  is  to  say,  he  would  be  first  to  attack  the  night 
guard. 

Ed  Hoffman,  captain  of  the  cell-room  night  guards, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  visit  the  hospital  at  intervals  of  two  to 
three  hours  every  night,  was  relieved  during  the  quarantine, 
consequently  this  feeble,  inoffensive  old  man  was  left  alone 
with  twelve  prisoners.  The  officers  feared  nothing  from  me 
as  yet,  for  I  was  unable  to  walk  across  the  floor  without  as- 
sistance, but  had  misjudged  Cook,  who  learned  from  the 
steward  that  the  measles  men  would  be  sent  back  to  the  shops 
Monday  morning  and  the  quarantine  declared  off;  therefore, 
we  decided  that  our  escape  must  be  made  "tonight  or  never." 
Mr.  Elder  arrived  at  seven  p.  m.,  and  entered  upon  his  duties 
for  the  night.  We  had  agreed  to  choke  him  into  silence,  and 
then  by  intimidation  keep  him  submissive  to  our  will ;  but  af- 
ter reverentially  regarding  his  extreme  old  age,  comparing  his 
silver  locks  to  those  of  my  own  dear  father's,  and  remembering 
his  many  kindnesses  to  me,  I  declared  to  Cook  that  I  could  not 
in  violence  lay  my  crime-stained  hand  upon  his  honest  throat. 
Hence  the  chloroform,  instead  of  being  a  premeditated  con- 
tingency, was  thought  of  and  substituted  at  the  last  mo- 
ment as  a  more  gentlemanly  and  humane  agent  to  employ  in 
dealing  with  the  old  man.  On  two  or  three  occasions  I  had 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


221 


seen  this  drug  administered  to  my  father  (who  was  at  the 
time  older  than  Mr.  Elder)  both  internally  and  by  application 
without  harm,  and  after  some  reflection  on  the  matter  I  con- 
curred in  Cook's  proposition  to  give  Mr.  Elder  a  small  dose 
in  a  glass  of  wine. 

Cook  had  access  to  the  key  which  unlocked  the  cupboard 
containing  chloroform,  liquors  and  some  of  the  most  deadly 
poisons  known  to  medical  science,  either  of  which,  had  we 


i 


John  Elder,  Age  73  Years,  Drugged  in  order  to  Escape  from 
Penitentiary. 

meditated,  could  have  been  substituted  for  the  chloroform. 
At  nine  o'clock  the  men  were  all  in  bed  and  the  lights  all  out 
but  one.  Cook  now  drank  a  glass  of  -wine,  and  asked  the  old 
man  if  he  would  have  some  too.  "Don't  care  if  I  do,"  he  re- 
plied, taking  the  glass  in  his  own  hand,  while  Cook  poured 
the  wine  into  it  until  he  said  "Stop."  He  tasted  it  and  ex- 
claimed, "Good  gracious,  how  bitter."  Cook  produced  the- 
chloroform  and  said,  "Let  me  put  some  syrup  in.it  for  you"  ^ 
then  measuring  half  a  drachm  in  the  graduate,  he  emptied  it 
into  the  wine,  which  the  guard  disposed  of  at. one  .gulp.  He 


222  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

coughed  a  little,  said  something  about  the  wine  being  strong 
and  bitter,  then  seating  himself  under  the  gas  light,  took  up 
his  paper  and  began  reading.  Half  an  hour  passed,  each  mo- 
ment seeming  to  be  an  hour,  and  no  drowsiness  visible  in  the 
large  blue  eyes  of  the  solitary  reader.  I  was  beginning  to 
think  and  hope  that  the  drug  would  not  operate,  but  it  was 
doing  its  work  cautiously  and  its  effect  was  instantaneous. 
The  hands  dropped  into  the  lap,  like  inanimate  things,  and 
the  old  man  tumbled  off  his  chair  onto  the  floor. 

The  knee  in  which  I  was  shot  was  not  yet  well  when  I 
was  arrested,  and  two  months  of  inaction  rendered  it  so  weak 
and  tender  that  the  leg  was  practically  useless ;  besides  an 
abscess  was  forming  around  the  bullet  in  my  breast,  causing 
great  pain.  In  consequence  of  these  ailments  I  could  not  (a 
moment  before  the  old  man  fell  from  his  chair)  have  crossed 
the  room  without  assistance,  but  was  now  instantly  trans- 
formed from1  a  penitent  weakling  into  a  fierce  and  terrible 
giant — who  will  say  that  the  Devil  does  not  care  for  his  own? 
— and  consequently  sprang  forward,  raised  the  unconscious 
man  (who  weighed  at  least  160  pounds)  bodily  in  my  arms, 
carried  him  to  my  bed  and  laid  him  on  it.  I  took  off  his  hat 
and  pants  and  put  them  on  myself  and  spread  the  blankets 
over  him  to  prevent  him  from  getting  cold.  Cook  now  hand- 
ed Fitzgerald  a  bottle  containing  about  eight  ounces  of  chloro- 
form, and  instructed  him  how  and  .when  to  use  it  on  the  old 
man.  He-  then  entered  a  closet  and  went  to  work  on  the  roof 
of  the  building,  his  tools  consisting  of  one  pocket  knife,  one 
small  shoe  knife  and  a  pair  of  barber  shears.  By  this  time  all 
the  other  prisoners  in  the  room  were  aroused,  some  sitting 
up  in  bed  and  others  standing  on  the  floor.  I  saw  they  were 
halting  between  two  opinions :  first,  whether  it  would  be  pru- 
dent to  join  us,  and  second,  whether  it  would  be  possible  or 
safe  to  give  the  alarm.  I  had  no  desire  for  the  former  and 
determined  they  should  not  do  the  latter ;  therefore  I  seized 
a  heavy  cane,  and,  advancing  toward  them,  said,  "I  want  you 
fellows  to  lie  down  and  keep  quiet."  It  is  said  that  "actions 
speak  louder  than  words,"  and  it  can  be  truly  said  that  a 
man's  looks  will  sometimes  transcend  both  words  and  actions 
in  effecting  a  desired  end.  Such  was  the  case  in  this  instance, 
as  I  had  scarcely  uttered  the  last  word  ere  the  men  had  re- 
sumed their  former  positions  in  bed.  The  physical  strength 
of  either  of  these  men  was  far  superior  to  mine,  even  in  my 
best  days,  yet  not  one  of  them  had  the  courage  to  ask  for  an 
explanation,  much  less  to  offer  a  protest. 

For  three  hours  I  walked  the  floor  like  a  caged  lion,  with 
the  cane  under  my  arm  and  whetting  knives  on  a  scythe  stone, 


DAYS  AND   DARIN*,   DKKDS  223 


which  I  gave  to  Cook  when  sharp  for  his  dull  one.  At  half 
past  one  o'clock  Cook  broke  the  roof,  which  created  a  noise 
sufficiently  loud  to  attract  the  attention  of  Ed  Hoffman,  who 
immediately  came  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  He  knocked 
at  the  door,  which  was  locked,  for  admittance.  I  turned  the 
key  and  invited  him  to  come  in.  As  I  swung  the  door  open 
one  of  the  prisoners  said,  ''Boys,  you  are  done  for  now." 
Hoffman  heard  this  remark,  and  becoming  suspicious,  asked, 
"Are  you  the  guard?"  "No,  sir;  he  is  on  the  bed  asleep,"  was 
my  reply,  and  at  the  same  time  seized  the  terrified  Hoffman 
by  the  collar,  jerked  him  into  the  room  and  locked  the  door 
again.  The  captain  immediately  recognized  me,  and  began 
begging  for  his  life  to  be  spared.  "Keep  quiet  and  you  shall 
not  be  hurt,"  was  the  only  answer  vouchsafed.  I  tied  his 
.hands  and  made  him  sit  down.  Cook  continued  his  work  as  if 
no  interruption  had  occurred,  but  Fitzgerald  had  become  so 
excited  that  he  left  his  post.  The  old  man  threw  the  blankets 
back  as  if  he  were  about  to  rise.  I  sprang  to  his  side  and 
covered  him  up  again.  His  respiration  was  regular  and  per- 
fectly natural,  which  assured  me  that  he  was  in  no  danger,  or 
even  pain.  Ten  minutes  later  Cook  said,  "Come  up  boys,  I  am 
through."  Cook  got  out  first,  myself  next,  then  Fitzgerald. 
We  stepped  from  the  hospital  roof  onto  the  cell-room,  and 
from  this  to  the  east  wall,  over  which  passed  the  smokestack 
guy,  heretofore  mentioned),  which  afforded  us  an  easy  de- 
scent, and  on  reaching  terra  firma  we  scurried  over  the  hills 
in  a  northwest  direction  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

When  I  allow  my  mind  to  dwell  upon  this  affair,  T  be- 
come more  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  practicability  and  util- 
ity of  presentiments,  or  of  the  visitations  of  disembodied  spir- 
its, "heretofore  alluded  to,  and  which  I  will  endeavor  to  ex- 
press according  to  my  light  and  convictions  in  a  future  chap- 
ter. The  whole  scene  was  as  dramatic  as  it  proved  tragical, 
for  the  old  man  ceased  to  breathe  soon  after  our  departure,  and 
in  consequence  of  his  death  Warden  McMillan  offered  a  re- 
ward of  two  hundred  dollars  for  my  return,  either  dead  or 
alive,  and  fifty  dollars  each  for  Cook  and  Fitzgerald.  My 
whole  being  was  charged,  as  it  were,  with  the  electricity  of 
excitement  and  hope  of  liberty,  and  it  was  this  artificial 
strength  that  carried  me  lightly  ajid  unaided  over  the  rough 
ground  for  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  penitentiary,  but 
having  obtained  freedom  by  surmounting  the  obstacles  that 
created  this  strength  I  breathed  easier  and  felt  perfectly  safe. 
When  this  thought  took  possession  of  my  mind  a  terrible  re- 
action occurred,  and  I  suddenly  dropped  to  the  ground,  com- 
pletely exhausted  by  the  four  hours  of  uncommon  mental  and 


224: 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


nervous  strain  superinduced  by  the  fickle  goddess  of  liberty; 
a  result  I  might  have  foreseen  had  not  my  reason  been  blinded 
with  the  love  of  freedom.  I  struggled  hard  to  rise,  but  could 
not  do  so.  I  then  urged  the  boys  to  leave  me  in  the  hands  of 
fate  and  save  themselves;  but  they  would  not  desert  me,  and 
after  a  short  rest  assisted  me  to  rise,  and  with  one  under  each 
arm  I  was  hurried  along  until  daylight,  when  we  entered  the 
barn  of  Mr.  Winterbottom,  and  concealed  ourselves  in  the 
haymow.  This  was  Monday  morning,  May  first,  1882,  and  by 
ten  o'clock  the  whole  country  was  alive  with  men  searching 
for  us.  About  noon  half  a  dozen  men  stopped  at  the  house  and 


The  Escape  of  Wells,  Cook  and  Fitzgerald. 

insisted  on  searching  the  barn,  but  Mr.  Winterbottom  .assured 
them  there  was  no  one  in  it,  so  they  continued  on  their 
course.  We  lay  in  a  row  with  our  backs  against  the  wall,  with 
about  one  foot  of  hay  over  us,  Cook's  head  resting  on  my  hip 
and  Fitzgerald's  head  on. Cook's.  After  dinner  Mr.  Winter- 
bottom,  to  satisfy  his  wife  .that  we  were  not  in  the  barn,  came 
in,  picked  up  a  three-tined  pitchfork  and  commenced  thrust- 
ing it  into  the  hay  in  a  manner  that  showed  he  did  not  be^ 
lieve  we  were  in  it.  He  came  nearer  and  nearer,  thrusting 
his  fork  into  the  hay  at  every  step.  I  could  see  every  motion 
he  made  and  felt  certain  he  would  plunge  the  fork  into  me, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  225 

therefore  nerved  myself  to  bear  it  without  flinching.  The 
first  thrust  I  received  two  tines  struck  the  head  and  the  other 
one  entered  the  side  of  my  neck,  behind  the  ear.  He  looked 
surprised  at  this  resistance  to  the  fork,  but  thinking  he  had 
struck  the  wall  (as  he  afterward  testified),  took  another  step 
and  plunged  the  fork  into  my  breast,  but  I  did  not  move  a 
muscle,  so  he  made  another  step  forward  with  his  fork  pointed 
direct  at  Cook's  eyes,  and  the  thought  of  their  being  put  out 
was  so  horrifying  that  I  could  no  longer  restrain  my  emotions, 
shouted,  "Hold  on,  sir !"  He  sprang  back  and  began  scream- 
ing like  a  woman  scared  at  a  mouse.  Again  I  was  endowed 
with  extraordinary  strength,  which  enabled  me  to  make  a 
heroic  effort,  and  I  sprang  toward  the  farmer.  He  struck  me 
a  tremendous  blow  with  the  fork,  laying  the  skull  bare  for 
four  inches.  I  wrenched  the  fork  from  him  and  run  him  out 
of  the  barn.  The  hired  man  had  just  led  two  fine  horses, 
with  harness  on,  into  the  back  lot.  Cook  and  I  mounted  one 
of  them,  and,  expecting  Fitzgerald  to  mount  the  other,  rode 
rapidly  toward  the  timber,  leaving  the  old  farmer  shouting 
like  a  Sioux  warrior.  On  reaching  the  woods  we  dismount- 
ed (as  I  could  not  ride  any  farther),  turned  the  horse  loose 
and  started  him. toward  the  barn.  Fitzgerald,  instead  of  fol- 
Jowing  us  on  the  other  horse,  crossed  the  road  and  surrendered 
to  an  old  farmer,  who  returned  him  to  the  penitentiary  that 
evening. 

Cook  and  I  encountered  a  dozen  men,  and  escape  now 
seemed  an  utter  impossibility,  but  I  had  no  idea  of  giving  up 
until  compelled  to.  I  forged  ahead  of  Cook,  and,  on  reaching 
Mud  Creek,  stepped  into  the  water. and  waded  upstream  about 
twenty  yards  to  a  short  bend.  Here  the  bank  was  some  ten 
feet  high,  with  the  upper  edge  projecting  two  or  three  feet, 
and  quite  a  number  of  roots  hanging  down  to  the  water.  We 
quickly  dropped  into  this  friendly  cave,  and  soon  buried  our- 
selves in  the  water  and  sand.  In  less  than  an  hour  there  were 
five  hundred  men  gathered  about  us.  They  rode  up  and  down, 
on  both  sides  of  the  creek,  crossed  and  recrossed  it  many  times 
within  a  rod  of  where  we  lay.  This  dress  parade  continued  as 
long  as  daylight  lasted.  We  remained  in  our  uncomfortable 
hiding  place  until  long  after  dark,  and  when  I  attempted  to 
rise,  I  found  myself  helpless,  and,  had  I  been  alone,  must  have 
perished  or  surrendered  to  someone  passing  by.  The  boys 
had  nearly  torn  me  to  pieces  in  getting  me  through  the  hos- 
pital roof,  and  the  pitchfork  thrusts,  coupled  -with  this  cold 
water  bed  for  nine  hours,  had  well  nigh  finished  me..  Cook, 
however,  finally  succeeded  in  getting  me  out  on  dry  land.  He 
wrung  the  water  out  of  our  clothes,  and,  after  rubbing  my 


226  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

limbs  for  an  hour,  I  was  able  to  stand  up.  We  worked  hard 
all  night  and  probably  traveled  two  or  three  miles.  At  day- 
break we  hid  ourselves  in  the  straw  on  top  of  the  cow-shed 
near  the  road,  and  not  more  than  a  mile  from  Winterbot- 
tom's  barn.  It  was  here  the  house  dog  discovered  us,  and,  as 
the  road  was  lined  with  men  all  day,  some  going  to  the  chase 
and  other  returning  from  it,  kept  us  in  a  state  of  terror.  H;e 
would  bark  at  us  until  a  searching  party  came  in  sight,  then 
run  back  to  the  house,  only  to  return  when  people  had  passed. 

Late  in  the  evening  Mr.  Willard's  little  boy  came  out  to 
gather  up  the  eggs,  after  which  he  climbed  onto  the  shed  and 
grasped  an  armful  of  straw  within  a  foot  of  my  head.  After 
dark  we  tried  to  milk  the  cows,  but  they  would  not  let  us  do 
so;  then  a  search  for  eggs  was  made,  but  without  desired  re- 
sults. We  then  entered  the  barn  and  secreted  ourselves  in  the 
.hay  (which  had  been  turned  upside  down  by  our  pursuers) 
for  a  sleep.  I  felt  assured  that  this  barn  would  not  be 
searched  again,  therefore,  we  unreservedly  delivered  ourselves 
over  to  the  goddess  of  night  and  soon  fell  asleep.  During  the 
ni)?ht  one  of  the  horses  broke  his  halter,  got  out  of  the  stall, 
and,  when  I  woke  up  next  morning,  was  standing  at  the  end 
of  the  barn  to  shelter  himself  from  the  rain.  Presently  two 
boys  came  out  to  feed  the  horses.  One  of  them  mounted  the 
hay  and  began  pitching  it  to  the  other  boy,  who  shouted,  "Old 
Tom's  out  again."  The  boy  on  the  hay  spied  the  horse  through 
a  crack,  and,  instead  of  going  after  him  as  I  thought  a  well 
trained  boy  should,  ran  across  the  hay  and  planted  one  of  his 
big  feet  right  across  my  nose  and  eyes  and  began  kicking  the 
wall  with  the  other,  and  cursing  "Old  Tom"  because  he  would 
not  move.  After  a  while  the  horse  concluded  to  go  around  to 
his  oats,  and  the  boy  returned  to  his  task.  He  seemed  to 
weigh  a  ton  and  it  appeared  to  be  an  hour  that  he  stood  on 
my  nose. 

When  our  pursuers  could  hear  nothing  more  of  us,  they 
lost  their  enthusiasm,  gave  up  the  chase  and  returned  home — 
a  result  I  had  fully  anticipated.  We  left  Mr.  Willard's  barn 
after  dark  and  traveled  about  two  miles  west  that  night.  At 
Mr.  J.  Sturger's  we  concluded  to  make  another  search  for 
eggs,  which  proved  fruitless  as  before.  The  cows  would  not 
allow  Cook,  on  account  of  his  stripes,  within  a  rod  of  them.  I 
got  an  armful  of  corn  and  laid  it  on  the  ground  before  a  large 
white  cow,  and,  while  she  ate  it,  filled  the  crown  of  my  hat 
with  milk,  which  I  gave  to  Cook ;  then  milked  a  hatful  for  my- 
self, and  thought  it  the  sweetest  milk  I  had  ever  tasted.  Mr. 
Stenger  had  some  fine  horses,  and  I  felt  sure  of  his  having  a 
light  vehicle  of  some  sort  for  family  conveyance ;  so  we  de- 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  227 

cided  to  wait  until  morning  to  make  a  survey  of  the  premises 
and  determine  if  possible  which  of  the  outhouses  contained 
his  carriage,  and  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  location  of  gates 
so  that  we  might  move  intelligently  in  the  dark ;  besides,  I  was 
in  no  hurry,  and,  having  found  a  crib  full  of  corn  and  a  cow 
to  milk,  there  was  no  danger  of  starving. 

Curling  up  in  the  haymow  Cook  soon  went  to  sleep,  but 
such  was  out  of  the  question  so  far  as  I  was  concerned.  Early 
next  morning  the  old  farmer  and  his  son  (both  large,  power- 
ful men)  came  out  to  feed  the  horses.  The  old  gentleman 
sprang  into  the  mow,  pitchfork  in  hand,  and  gently  raked  the 
hay  from  over  my  face.  I  was  suffering  terribly  and  was 
about  half  glad  of  this  opportunity  to  honorably  surrender. 
Therefore  I  said,  "Hold,  sir,  I  will  come  out."  He  dropped  the 
fork,  and  seized  my  arm  in  a  vice-like  grip,  and  asked,  "Are 
there  any  more  in  that  hole?"  "No,  sir,"  said  I.  It  was  my 
purpose  to  give  Cook  a  chance  to  escape  by  remaining  quiet, 
which  he  might  have  done,  as  the  farmer  took  me  for  a  tramp 
on  account  of  my  dress,  but  when  he,  being  true  and  brave, 
loomed  up  in  his  stripes,  the  young  man  shouted,  "Look  out, 
father,  that  is  Polk  Wells  you  have  hold  of."  Cook  seized  the 
fork  and  ordered  the  old  man  to  let  loose  of  me,  which  he  did. 
The  Devil  again  took  possession  of  me  and  I  made  another 
desperate  effort  to  escape.  We  rushed  from  the  barn  lot  and 
started  towards  the  woods,  with  the  old  man  following  close- 
behind  us.  The  young  man  quickly  returned  from  the  house 
with  a  double-barreled  shotgun,  which  he  pointed  at  my 
breast  and  said,  "Surrender  or  I'll  shoot."  I  saw  that  death 
was  my  portion  unless  I  obeyed  orders,  and,  since  I  was  not 
morally  fit  to  die,  made  a  polite  bow  and  unconditionally  sur- 
rendered to  the  stalwart  young  German.  Cook,  being  some 
distance  ahead,  and  seeing  I  had  given  up,  came  back  and 
surrendered  also.  Our  captors  marched  us  up  to  Mr.  Rice's 
house.  That  gentleman,  his  son  and  another  man,  shook  hands 
with  us,  and  informed  us  that  Mr.  Elder,  the  night  guard,  had 
died  soon  after  our  escape.  Had  I  known  this  a  moment  soon- 
er Mr.  Stenger  and  his  son  would  have  had  to  fight,  but  now 
ic-sistance  would  have  been  worse  than  folly,  as  we  had  five 
strong  men  to  contend  with,  instead  of  two  as  before.  Mrs. 
Rice  invited  us  in  to  breakfast,  while  Mr.  Stenger  was  getting 
his  team  ready  to  convey  us  back  to  prison.  We  had  had 
nothing  to  eat,  except  the  little  drop  of  milk  the  night  before, 
since  Sunday  noon,  and  this  was  Thursday.  Cook  ate  greed- 
ily from  the  start,  but  not  so  with  me.  The  feeling  of  hunger 
I  had  experienced  the  day  before  had  left  me,  and  with  it 
went  my  appetite.  I  looked  at  the  rich  food  for  a  moment 


228  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

with  a  sort  of  loathing  for  it,  and  began  pushing  back  from 
the  table  as  I  said,  "Oh,  I  am  too  hungry  to  eat  anything." 
The  good  lady's  sympathy  was  touched  and  she  said,  "Mr. 
Wells,  drink  a  little  coffee  and  your  appetite  will  return." 
Did  she  know  this  from  experience,  or  was  she  prompted  by 
some  good  spirit?  I  firmly  believe  the  latter  to  have  been  the 
case.  I  drank  the  coffee  as  she  recommended,  my  appetite 
returned  and  I  ate  the  most  delicious  breakfast  of  my  life' — 
thanks  to  Mrs.  Rice. 

On  May  4th,  four  days  after  our  escape,  we  were  again 
placed  behind  the  bars.  On  the  nineteenth  we  were  taken  be- 
fore His  Honor,  Judge  Stutsman,  to  plead  to  the  charge  of 
murder.  We  were  ably  defended  by  Honorable  J.  M.  Casey 
and  son,  while  Honorable  John  Von  Volkenburg  assisted  Mr. 
Bereman  in  the  prosecution.  Cook  and  I  were  convicted  of 
murder  in  the  first  degree  and  sentenced  to  life  imprisonment 
at  hard  labor,  while  Fitzgerald  got  off  with  murder  in  the 
second  degree  at  eighteen  years  hard  labor.  I  was  undergo- 
ing the  most  intense  suffering  from  my  wounds,  was  desper- 
ately miserable,  and  without  a  single  beacon  of  hope  to  look 
forward  to,  hence  I  was  as  unappreciative  of  the  sympathetic 
smiles  that  greeted  me  here  and  there  throughout  the  vast 
audience  as  I  was  indifferent  to  the  sentence  pronounced 
against  me.  The  only  thing  in  connection  with  the  trial  that 
kept  me  in  touch  with  my  fellows,  or  in  any  way  affected  me, 
was  the  presence  of  my  dear,  sad-faced  sister,  from  Atchison, 
Kansas.  The  trouble  and  sorrow  she  endured  on  my  account 
hurt  me  far  more  than  any  punishment  the  law  might  have 
imposed. 

Cook  and  Fitzgerald  were  put  to  work  on  the  contract, 
while  I  was  consigned  to  solitary  confinement,  where  I  re- 
mained from  May  19th,  1882,  to  June  1st,  1884,  during  which 
time  I  was  interviewed  by  all  classes  from  governor  down  to 
the  plowboy.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  without  bringing  me 
from  one  to  a  dozen  visitors.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  chat  with  them ;  many  of  whom  spoke  kindly  to  me,  and 
all  united  in  saying,  "Polk,  you  don't  look  like  a  bad  fellow." 
I  will  not  dwell  upon  the  physical  and  mental  suffering  en- 
dured during  this  long  period  of  hibernation,  but  will  simply 
state  that  no  punishment  that  human  ingenuity  can  devise 
will  equal  solitary  confinement.  At  the  end  of  eighteen 
months  the  warden  allowed  me  to  have  a  lamp  and  some  tools 
with  which  to  make  notions  to  sell  to  visitors,  .the  proceeds 
of  sales  to  be  placed  to  my  credit.  This  one  act  of  kindness 
banished  all  ill  feeline  I  may  have  had  toward  the  warden.  I 
manufactured  such  things  as  cowboy  bridles,  quirts,  whips, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  229 

billies,  canes,  toothpicks,  pin-cushions  and  horseshoe  match 
boxes.  I  found  ready  sale  for  these  articles  as  fast  as  I  could 
make  them.  This  employment  was  not  only  profitable  in  a 
financial  sense,  but  beneficial  to  the  body  and  mind,  as  it  serv- 
ed to  occupy  my  hands  and  turn  the  thoughts  out  of  the  chan- 
nel which  was  leading  me  into  madness.  Surely  the  people 
who  are  so  zealously  advocating  the  abolition  of  convict  labor 
in  penitentiaries  cannot  be  in  earnest.  If  they  are,  a  few  days 
of  solitary  confinement  would  be  sufficient  to  cure  them  of 
this  false  theory. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Colonel  G.  W.  Crosley,  shortly  after  taking  charge  of 
this  institution  as  warden,  April  1st,  1884,  came  to  me  and 
said,  "Polk,  you  do  not  look  like  a  bad  man.  I  see  no  reason 
why  you  should  be  treated  like  some  wild  beast,  and  kept 
locked  up  as  a  sort  of  ten  cent  show,  therefore  I  have  con- 
cluded to  put  you  to  work,  notwithstanding  Governor  Sher- 
man's advice  to  the  contrary."  "Warden,"  said  I,  "if  you  put 
me  among  the  men  you  will  be  sorry  for  it.  I  have  nothing 
against  you  nor  any  one  else,  yet  I  would  not  hesitate  to 
knock  you  in  the  head  should  you  stand  between  me  and  lib- 
erty." He  replied,  "Polk,  I  have  fully  considered  the  prob- 
ability of  such  an  event,  but  I  believe  your  intelligence  will 
lead  you  to  think  differently  after  a  while.  I  shall,  neverthe- 
less, put  you  to  work  regardless  of  consequences."  He  then 
shook  hands  with  me  and  walked  away,  leaving  me  to  reflect 
on  the  situation. 

I  had  asked  Warden  McMillan  to  put  me  to  work  in  the 
hope  of  raising  an  insurrection,  through  which  I  expected  to 
escape,  but  having  reviewed  my  past  career,  and,  seeing  the 
trouble  I  had  brought  upon  others,  concluded  to  remain  in 
my  cell  without  a  murmur,  in  order  to  avoid  further  trouble. 
I  had  received  many  notes  proposing  escape,  and  once  in  a 
shop  they  would  reach  me  from  all  quarters  of  the  prison ; 
besides  visitors  and  guards  passing  my  cell  gave  me  an  ex- 
alted opinion  of  myself  by  such  remarks  as,  "Oh,  he's  a  holy 
terror,"  and  "They  say  he's  the  best  pistol  shot  in  the  coun- 
try." I  heard  so  much  of  this  sort  of  praise,  and  having  my 
bravery  so  frequently  complimented  by  gentlemen  who  came 
to  see  me,  that  I  began  to  think  myself  a  very  dangerous 
man,  and,  being  of  a  naturally  impulsive  temperament,  with 
this  profusion  of  praise  ringing  in  my  ears  made  it  morally 
certain  that  I  would  yield  to  the  first  temptation  that  offered 
a  probable  success,  unless  some  extraordinary  moral  influence 
should  be  brought  to  bear  on  me. 

During  the  month  of  May,  Mr.  Jameson,  cell-room  guard, 
by  order  of  Warden  Crosley,  took  me  out  into  the  yard  every 
afternoon  for  an  hour's  exercise  in  the  sunshine.  It  was,,  at 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


first,  extremely  painful  to  the  eyes  on  coming  out  of  the  dark 
room  into  the  bright  light  of  day,  and  difficult  for  me  to  walk 
straight.  I  staggered  from  one  side  of  the  walk  to  the  other 
like  one  intoxicated.  June  1st  the  warden  himself  took  me  out 
for  a  walk,  chatting  pleasantly  all  the  while,  and  after  pass- 
ing entirely  around  the  inner  court  we  came  to  the  greenhouse, 
into  which  I  was  invited  to  see  the  flowers,  a  favor,  I  must 
say,  undeservedly  bestowed,  for  I  was  too  vile  to  enter  the 
sanctum  of  so  much  beauty  and  purity.  The  warden's  man- 
ner, from  the  first,  impressed  me  with  the  fact  that  he  was, 
and  is,  a  man  of  superior  qualities  and  excellent  virtues  ;  and 
his  frankness,  coupled  with  his  uniform  kindness  and  gentle 
firmness,  were  evidences  of  the  fact  that  he  expected  his  or- 
ders to  be  implicitly  obeyed.  There  was  no  begging  that  I 
would  be  good  nor  fearing  that  I  would  not.  I  wvs  simply 
thrown  upon  my  own  resources  to  act  the  fool  or  conduct  my- 
self as  became  a  man  of  "good  sense,"  as  the  warden  expressed 
it. 

I  was  taken  to  "Shop  12"  (shoe  contract)  and  set  to  work 
lasting  boots.  Mr.  Huiskamp  treated  me  kindly,  and  his  fore- 
man, Captain  Bradish,  was  very  patient  and  painstaking  in 
showing  me.  I  had  often  thought  I  would  like  to  be  a  shoe- 
maker, therefore  I  applied  myself  to  the  task  with  zeal  and 
determination.  My  ambition  to  succeed  was  only  equaled  by 
my  inability,  from  various  causes,  to  perform  the  work  al- 
lotted me.  I  was  as  nearly  crazy  as  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to 
get  without  being  adjudged  insane,  and  I  certainly  would 
have  become  a  raving  maniac  had  I  been  kept  a  few  months 
longer  in  solitary  confinement,  therefore,  the  harder  I  worked 
the  less  headway  I  seemed  to  make.  Everything  fretted  and 
annoyed  me.  My  pincers  were  constantly  slipping,  my 
knuckles  received  the  blow  intended  for  the  peg,  the  sharp 
iron  tacks  stuck  my  fingers  and  I  drove  the  peg  awl  through 
the  fleshy  part  of  my  hand  several  times.  Besides  these  per- 
plexities the  guard's  presence  added  fuel  to  the  flames.  He 
seemed  never  to  take  his  eye  off  of  me,  which  vexed  me 
almost  beyond  endurance,  and  I  fairly  frothed  at  the  mouth 
with  madness,  making  me  a  fit  subject  of  the  text,  "Anger 
resteth  in  the  bosom  of  fools."  Thus  matters  ran  along  for 
two  weeks,  during  which  times  I  received  several  notes  pro- 
posing escape,  from  different  prisoners.  One  fellow  wrote: 
"Friend  Wells  —  The  foreman  (who  was  a  large,  powerful 
man)  is  constantly  troubling  Smith  and  myself  (both  small 
men),  and  if  you  will  agree  to  engage  the  guard  we'll  attack 
him  with  our  shoe  knives."  For  some  reason  I  did  not  like 
(hose  men,  which  fact,  coupled  with  the  kindness  I  had  re- 


332. ....XlEE-jmD.  AP.VENTURES  OF  .POLK  WELLS 

ceived  at  "the  'hands  of  the  foreman  prevented  a  terrible,  and* 
possibly  fatal,  row;  so  my  reply  to  Mr/  Picket  was  to  the 
effect  that""!  wished  to' he  excused  from  participating  in  his 
deadly  purpose." 

I  received  another  note,  which  bore  evidence  of  the  earn- 
estness and  feasibility  of  the  writer's  proposition  to  escape. 
He  signed  himself  "Missouri,"  and  very  kindly  and  thought- 
fully furnished  nie  paper  and  pencil  with  which  to  write  my 
acceptance.  I  confess  I  seized  the  pencil  to  do-  so,  but  for  the 
life  of  me  could  not  write  a  single  word.  My  right  arm  seem- 
ed 'paralyzed  and  my  whole  frame  trembled  so  violently  that 
I  became  alarmed  and  threw  the  pencil  down  and  went  to  bed. 
This  proposed  escape,  if  carried  out,  would  have  involved  the 
lives  of  several  innocent  people,  and  hence  I  attributed  the. 
strange  actions  of  my  arm  and  the  peculiar  and  indescribable 
sensations  I  experienced  to  supernatural  agency,  or;  in  other 
words,  it  was  the  manifestation  of  power,  and  almost  visible 
presence,  of  the  good  disembodied  spirits  striving  with  me.  I 
had  felt  something  like  this  before  when  about  to  commit 
crime,  but  had,  in  each  instance,  frowned  down  the  "still, 
small  yoice,"  continued  in  the  broad  path  of  sin,  and  it  was 
only  a  matter  of  time  when  I  would  stifle  conscience  and  yield 
to  this  Missourian's  wishes.  Being  without  money  or  friends, 
practically  without  a  hope  of  legitimate,  freedom,  the  thought 
of  wearing  out  my  life  in  the  penitentiary  at  hard  labor,  to  fill 
the  contractor's  coffers  with  gold,  was  hot  calculated  to  in- 
spire me  with  very  serious,  conscientious  scruples  about  taking 
the  life  of  any  one  standing  between  me  and  liberty. 

Charles  Gibbs,  the  famous  pirate,  when  standing  on  the 
scaffold  said,  "My  first  crime  was  piracy,  for  which  my  life 
would  pay  the  forfeit  on  conviction.  No  punishment  could  be 
inflicted  on  me  greater  than  that,  and  therefore  I  had  nothing 
to  fear  but  detection,  for  had  my  offenses  been  millions  of 
times  more  aggravated  than  they  now  are,  death  must  have 
satisfied  all."  In  my  pressed  and  depressed  condition  I  felt  as 
Gibbs  felt,  and  thought  as  he  thought,  "If  I  escape  I  have 
nothing  to  fear  but  detection ;  if  I  elude  the  officers  for  a  few 
years  (for  I  expected  no  more),  I  am  that  much  ahead.  If  I 
am  killed,  on  being  recaptured,  death  must  end  all ;  or,  if  re- 
turned to  prison,  I  will  be  no  worse  off  than  before."  With 
these  desperate  and  devilish  thoughts  surging  through  my 
diseased  and  excited  brain,  I  fell  into  a  troubled  sleep,  from 
which  I  was  aroused  by  the  tapping  of  the  breakfast  bell.  I 
remained  in  the  shop  two  or  three  hours  after  breakfast,  but 
could  not  work,  and,  at  my  own  request,  was  taken  back  to 
my  cell.  I  then  asked  the  deputy  warden  to  telephone  Judge 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  233 

Casey,  my  attorney,  to  come  up  to  see  me.     I  had  no  partic- 
ular business  with  him,  but  "must  unburden  my  mind  to  some- 
body," and  I  know  of  no  one  who  would  listen  to  me  so  pati- 
ently and  sympathetically  as  he.     He  arrived  at  one  o'clock 
and  I  was  taken  to  the  "bell-house"  to  see  him.    I  told  him  of 
the  warden's  great  kindness  to  me ;  of  the  foreman's  patience 
in  teaching  me  to  perform  my  work  correctly;  of  Pickett's 
proposition  to  attack  the  foreman,  which  I  had  spurned  from 
me,  and  the  Missourian's  plan  to  escape,  to  which  I  added  my 
convictions  and  intentions  and  asked  him  to  tell  me  how  to 
act  most  intelligently  in  the  matter.     The  idea  of  asking  a 
prominent  and  respected  lawyer  to  direct  me  in  an  escape  is 
suggestive  of  my  mental  condition,  and  I  need  say  nothing 
further  on  the  point.    The  judge  is  a  student  of  human  nature 
as  well  as  of  law,  therefore  he  readily  recognized  my  infirm- 
ity and  treated  me  accordingly.     He  listened  patiently  to  my 
story,   which,    when   finished,   threw   him   into    a   meditative 
mood.     His  prolonged  silence  was  distressing  to  me,  and  I 
was  on  the  point  of  fleeing  from  the  room,  when  he  raised  his 
large  blue  eyes  and  fixed  them  on  my  countenance  as  if  to 
read  the  innermost  thoughts  of  my  troubled  soul.    I  could  not 
look  at  him,  but  keenly  felt  the  burning  glances  of  his  kindly 
and  pitying  eyes,  which  filled  my  aching  heart  with  a  delight- 
ful feeling  that  had  Ions:  been  a  stranger  to  my  bosom.    Pres- 
ently the  judge  broke  the  silence,  and  delivered  the  following 
exhortation,  which  I  will  endeavor  to  give,  as  nearly  verbatim 
as  a  good  memory  and  an  honest  purpose  will  admit.    He  said : 
"Polk,  you  have,  from  the  first,  been  exceedingly  frank  with 
me,  and  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  you  have  now  ex- 
pressed the  honest  purposes  of  your  heart.    I  never  fo~  a  mo- 
ment believed  you  the  demon  that  the  papers  have  so  luridly 
painted  you.     I  know  that  liberty  is  as  sweet  to  you  as  it  is 
to  me,  yet  I  am  unwilling  to  believe  that  you  would  wilfully 
take  the  life  of  a  fellowbeing  to  gain  even  so  great  a  boon  as 
freedom,  which  would  only  be  temporary  at  best,  for  you  can- 
not successfully  fight  the  whole  United  States  single  handed. 
I  am  glad  you  did  not  enter  into  that  Pickett  affair,  and  I  hope 
and  believe  you,  like  our  Savior,  will  say  to  all  other  tempters, 
'Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan.'    I  beseech  you,  my  dear  boy,  als 
a  friend,  to  conduct  yourself  like  a  man.     You  owe  it  to  me 
and  yourself  to  do  so,  and  gratitude  to  Col.  Crosley,  who  has 
rescued  you  from  a  living  death,  calls  loudly  for  your  respect 
and  good  behavior,  which  will,  I  trust,  be  such  as  not  only 
merit  the  warden's  kindness  and  good  wishes  toward  you,  but 
also  enlist  the  sympathy  and  friendship  of  those  outside,  who 
now  believe  you  to  be  void  of  manly  principle  and  unworthy 


234  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

of  human  treatment.  A  single  act  of  violence  on  your  par! 
would  subject  the  warden  to  the  severest  censure  and  prou- 
ably  cause  his  removal  by  the  governor.  Now  then,  Polk,  u 
the  face  of  these  facts,  I  say  you  owe  the  profoundest  respect 
and  the  strictest  obedience  that  your  manhood  is  capable  of 
to  Col.  Crosley,  who  has  shown  himself  to  be  a  brave,  good 
man  by  taking  you  out  of  -that  miserable  old  cell,  thereby  ig- 
noring public  sentiment  through  his  humanity  toward  you, 
and  which  I  am  confident  you  fully  appreciate  and  will  ac- 
knowledge by  deporting  yourself  as  becomes  a  man  of  good 
sense."  I  was  taken  back  to  my  cell  with  a  lighter  heart, 
and  feeling  happier  than  I  had  for  years.  The  germ  of  hope 
(which  never  dies)  being  well  irrigated  by  the  judge's  logical 
advise  and  fatherly  sympathy,  instantly  begun  to  revive. 

The  beautiful,  loving  and  beloved  Theodocia  once  wrote 
her  father,  Aaron  Burr,  these  words :  "I  contemplate  you  with 
such  a  strange  mixture  of  humility,  admiration,  -reverence, 
love  and  pride,  that  very  little  superstition  would  be  neces- 
sary to  make  me  worship  you  as  a  superior  being."  The  char- 
acters of  Col.  Crosley  and  Col.  Burr  are  diametrically  oppo- 
site, yet  they  excite  similar  emotions,  as  I  entertain  that  feel- 
ing for  the  former  that  the  gifted  Theodocia  has  so  beautifully 
expressed  for  the  latter;  but  mind  was  so  clouded  that  I  could 
not  comprehend  my  duty  toward  the  warden  until  Judsfe 
C?sey  prompted  me  by"  gratitude,  reverence  and  obedience" 
to  the  man  who  had  delivered  me  from  a  fate  worse  than 
death.  I  lay  down  on  my  humble  cot,  and  mentally  thanked 
the  judge  for  his  consolation,  blessed  the  warden  for  his  kind- 
ness to  me  and  went  to  sleep,  breathing  this  prayer,  "Oh  thou 
merciful  God,  help  me  to  think  right  and  to  act  ri^ht."  I 
passed  a  restful  night  and  awoke  next  morning  much  re- 
freshed. 

September  first  the  warden  took  me  to  the  hospital.  The 
doctor  pronounced  me  an  unsound  man,  and  not  able  for  con- 
tract work.  I  expected  the  warden  would  return  and  take  nit 
out  of  the  room,  but  he  did  not ;  so  I  informed  the  steward 
that  I  would  not  remain  with  him  any  longer.  He  notified  the 
warden,  who  sent  Mr.  Whitney,  assistant  deputy  warden,  to 
see  me,  and  who  said,  ''The  warden  says  you  must  stay  here 
today."  "Tell  him  I  shall  not  do  so,"  was  my  impudent  re- 
ply. I  did  not  mean  to  be  uncivil  to  the  officer  or  in  any  way 
disregard  the  warden's  order,  but  when  "anger  is  in  the  wits 
are  out,"  and  hence  I  failed  to  say  what  I  most  wanted  to  say. 
The  warden  came  ,up  and  approached  me  in  a  calm,  kind  and 
dignified  manner.  "What  is  the  matter,  Polk — why  do  you 
not  wish  to  stay  here?"  he  asked.  "The  smell  of  medicine 


EXCITINC  DAYS  AND  DAKIN<;  DKKDS  235 

makes  me  sick,"  I  said.  If  I  had  said,  "The  room  recalls  un- 
pleasant memories,"  the  warden  would  out  of  respect  for  my 
feelings  have  taken  me  away.  For  a  moment  he  remained 
silent,  bending  his  large  brown  eyes  upon  me  with  an  expres- 
sion difficult  to  depict.  There  was  in  it  a  mixture  of  pity, 
reproach  and  indignation,  which  seemed  to  say,  "This  is  the 
way  you  thank  me  for  having  been  kind  to  you."  "Your  ex- 
cuse," said  the  warden,  "for  not  wishing  to  re-main  here  is  in- 
sufficient." I  made  no  reply,  and  he  continued  in  a  voice 
freighted  with  tenderness  and  firmness,  "Polk,  the  doctor  has 
ordered  you  a  day's  rest  in  the  hospital,  and  you  say  you  will 
not  stay.  It  is  my  place  to  see  that  you  do ;  so  you  and  I  had 
as  well  come  to  an  understanding  now  as  any  other  time.  I 
say  you  must  stay  here  today." 

Dr.  Talmage  says,  "There  is  no  monstrosity  of  wicked- 
ness that  can  stand  unabashed  under  the  glance  of  purity  and 
honor."  So  it  was  in  this  case,  as  I  had  risen  to  confront  the 
warden,  but  quailed  beneath  his  reproachful  glance,  and  stood 
abashed  and  silent.  He  saw  that  I  was  completely  subdued 
?nd  left  the  room,  and  in  which  it  is  needless  to  say  I  re- 
mained that  day.  I  have  had  many  a  hard  tussel  in  my  life, 
but  Warden  Crosley  is  the  only  man  who  can  boast  of  having 
whipped  me,  and  he  did  it  without  a  lick  or  an  unkind  word, 
yet  so  neatly  and  thoroughly  that  I  shall  feel  the  effects  of  it 
until  the  day  I  die — had  he  approached  me  in  a  blustering, 
bragadocia  manner,  the  results  would  most  likely  have  been 
different. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  I  have  disposed  of  all  my  Utah 
and  Wyoming  associates  in  crime  but  Callahan,  and  will  now 
dispose  of  him  and  those  in  league  with  me  after  my  return 
to  Missouri.  Callahan  was  killed  in  Waco,  Texas.  James 
Dougherty,  a  participant  in  the  Nortonville  Bank  robbery,  was 
hung  for  horse  stealing  in  Texas,  by  a  band  of  Texas  Rangers. 
Bill  Norris  was  recaptured  in  Watertown,  South  Dakota,  taken  to 
Kansas  and  tried  for  the  Nortonville  robbery  and  was  sen- 
tenced to  twenty-one  years  in  the  penitentiary  at  Leaven- 
worth  ;  and  the  next  morning  after  arriving  at  the  prison,  was 
found  dead  in  his  cell,  having  butted  his  brains  out  against 
the  stone  wall.  Wilson,  my  partner  in  the  bank  robbery  at 
Riverton,  Iowa,  was  captured  by  Sheriffs  Farrell  and  Chand- 
ler in  Nebraska,  taken  to  Sidney,  where  he  plead  guilty  and 
was  sentenced  to  eleven  years  in  this  prison.  P.  H.  Davis, 
my  partner  in  the  hotel  at  Randolph,  Wisconsin,  was  disin- 
herited and  disowned  by  his  proud  old  father,  his  wife  left  him, 
and  he  became  a  wanderer.  The  six  men  composing  the  Hall's 
Station  "Mob"  have  all  come  to  grief  through  sin ;  one  was 


236  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

hung  for  stealing  cattle  in  Colorado  by  the  invincible  cow- 
boys'; two  died  most  horrible  and  agonizing  deaths;  two  were 
sent  to  the  penitentiary  at  Jefferson  City,  and  the  last  one  be- 
came a  wandering  vagabond,  his  wife  having  completely 
wrecked  his  fortune  and  happiness.  I  had  many  opportunities 
to  kill  these  six  men,  but  only  once,  did  I  entertain  the  thought 
of  doing  so,,  and  that  was.  one  day  while  they  had  me  sur- 
rounded in  the  woods  near  the  little  log  cabin.  I  secreted 
myself  near  the  roadside,  fully  determined  to  shoot, into  the 
first  party  that  came  along.  After  waiting  two  or  three  hours 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  their  evil,  unwarranted  reports 
could  not  injure  Nora,  and  immediately  abandoned  my  deadly 
purpose.  The  only  thing  I  blamed  these  men  for  was  their 
unprincipled  efforts  to  break  down  the  character  of  a  pure  and 
innocent  woman  (Nora),  and  their  unscrupulous  and  unrea- 
sonable charges  against  me,  while  on  the  other  hand  I  had 
some  degree  of  respect  for  their  bold  defiance  and  open  en- 
mity toward  me. 

Al  and  Nora,  soon  after  I  left  Missouri,  were  arrested  at 
the  instigation  of  "The  Mob"  on  a  charge  of  adultery,  and 
thrown  into  that  horrid  jail  at  St.  Joseph.  They  were  finally 
released,  and  returning  to  their  .home  only  to  find  it  sacked, 
the  furniture  strewn  about  the  yard,  the  house  shockingly  mal- 
treated, the  stock  turned  on  the  common  and  their  crop  ut- 
terly destroyed,  and  were,  for  two  years,  unjustly  and  unmer- 
cifully persecuted  by  these  men ;  but  they  are  today,  thank 
God,  in  a  healthy  and  prosperous  condition,  and  enjoy  the 
love  and  confidence  of  all  their  neighbors.  Although  they  suf- 
fered much  on  my  account,  they  had  never  even  intimated 
that  they  thought  so  or  in  any  way  referred  to  me  as  being 
the  source  of  their  troubles.  They  are  certainly  two  of  the 
best  people  God  ever  gave  existence;  they  did  everything  in 
their  power  to  keep  me  in  the  paths  of  honor,  and  risked  their 
lives  in  bringing  me  food  and  trying  to  save  me  from  the 
clutches  of  the  law ;  and  this,  their  friendship  and  love  for 
me,  was  .their  only  crime — that  is,  if  such  an  attachment  can 
be  called  a  crime.  I  certainly  would  have  been  a  Devil  had 
it  not  been  for  the  wholesome  influence  they  exerted  over  me. 

In  this  connection  I  wish  to  say  that  the  statements  ap- 
pearing in  the  columns  of  several  newspapers,  of  recent  date, 
imputing  to  me  the  murder  of  thirty-seven  men  are  gratuitous 
errors.  One  man  killed  in  Utah  (in  self  defense)  and  partici- 
pation in  the  act  which  subsequently  resulted  in  the  death  of 
the  guard  at  this  prison,  constitute  the  sum  total  of  my  oper- 
ations in  this  respect.  I  was  an  expert  with  the  rifle  and 
pistol,  cool  and  fearless,  and  always  shot  in  the  interest  of  my 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  237 

comrades,  as  I  thought  that  there  was  no  harm  in  dead  In- 
dians, with  whom  I  was  engaged  in  many  a  deadly  strife,  and 
it  may  be  that  I  killed  thirty-seven  of  them,  but  I  do  not  know ; 
I  can  only  say  positively  that  I  killed  three  of  my  ill-used 
brothers,  namely,  those  attacking  "Scotty"  and  myself  on  the 
Missouri  in  Montana.  But  these  homicides  cannot  be  classed 
as  murder,  for  the  laws  defines  that  as  a  "malicious,  premedi- 
tated act."  My  courage  and  marksmanship  were  always  com- 
mendable, and  if,  by  use  of  them,  I  sent  a  number  of  Indians 
to  the  "Happy  Hunting  Grounds,"  was,  to  use  a  familiar 
phrase,  "good  riddance  to  the  country,"  which  tended  to  rend- 
er the  peace  and  safety  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  western 
frontier  more  secure,  and  their  property  less  liable  to  unlawful 
appropriation. 

There  are  two  events  of  my  life  which,  legally  speaking, 
were  penitentiary  offenses ;  but,  looking  at  them  from  a  moral 
standpoint,  were  just  and  right,  and  my  re-ason  for  omitting 
details  of  them  is  to  prevent  unsavory  reflections  being  cast 
upon  good  and  innocent  persons.  These  were  acts  against  the 
letter  but  not  the  spirit  of  the  law,  and  were  punishable  by 
imprisonment  for  from  six  months  to  two  years.  I  performed 
my  part  in  these  incidents  simply  out  of  sympathy  for  the 
other  parties  to  the  contracts,  my  being  already  an  outlaw, 
rendered  the  offense  against  society  purely  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference so  far  as  I  was  individually  concerned.  I  make  the 
above  statement  in  order  that  those  acquainted  with  all  the 
facts  relative  to  the  two  cases  cited,  may  not  have  occasion  to 
say,  "If  he  eliminates  or  ignores  these  events  in  his  life,  it  is 
quite  probable  that  he  has  omitted  others  equally  as  repre- 
hensible." 

Aside  from  the  overt  criminal  acts  described,  the  two  ir- 
regularities mentioned  above  and  a  too  liberal  use  of  profan- 
ity, my  life  has  been  approximately  pure  and  correct.  But 
these  delinquencies  were  amply  sufficient  to  bring  me  to  this 
institution,  a  description  of  which  may  as  well  be  given  here 
as  anywhere,  since  the  story  would,  it  seems  to  me,  be  in- 
complete without  it.  It  was  established  in  1839,  gradual!}' 
developed  from  a  mere  stockade  into  one  of  the  most  mapf- 
ificent  and  humanely  disciplined  prisons  in  the  United  States. 
It  is  situated  on  a  knoll,  commanding  a  splendid  view  of  the 
grand  old  Mississippi  River.  The  four  high  stone  walls  en- 
closed four  acres  of  land,  on  which  are  built  the  various  work- 
shops, numbering  from  1  to  18.  The  latter  is  known  as  the 
"State  Shop,"  by  reason  of  the  laundering,  tailoring  and  cfen- 
eral  repairs  for  the  entire  prison  being  done  there.  The  bath- 
house is  admirably  arranged,  the  stalls,  thirty  in  number,  be- 


238  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

ing  supplied  wdth  both  hot  and  cold  water  pipes,  so  the  bather 
may  temper  the  water  to  suit  himself.  While  bathing,  once 
each  week,  and  which  was  compulsory,  the  soiled  clothes  ars 
taken  up  and  clean  ones  put  in  their  places.  Each  prisoner's 
registered  number  is  on  his  clothes,  so  that  he  gets  his  own 
each  week.  In  addition  to  four  ounces  of  chewing  or  smoking 
tobacco  each  week,  he  is  allowed  his  choice  of  cotton  or 
woolen  socks  and  of  woolen  or  cotton  flannel  underwear.  The 
clothing  is  of  the  best  material,  warm  and  durable,  and  is  made 
up  neatly  and  substantially.  The  most  prominent  building 
in  the  institution  is  a  large  two-story  structure,  occupying  a 
central  position,  and  is  called  the  "Bell  House,"  in  which  is 
located  the  deputy  warden's  and  clerk's  offices.  Between 
these  is  a  hall,  leading  into  the  large  dining-room,  with  its  one 
hundred  clean  tables,  each  capable  of  accommodating  four 
persons.  Adjoining  this  is  a  culinary  department,  which  has 
lately  been  supplied  with  a  steam  cooking  apparatus.  In  a 
side  room  is  the  oven,  in  which  cords  of  bread  are  baked 
every  week.  The  provisions  used  are  the  best  quality  and 
unlimited  in  quantity.  Immediately  over  the  dining-room  is 
the  chapel,  a  large,  well-appointecj  room,  with  seating  capacity 
of  four  hundred.  Adjoining  the  chapel  is  the  hospital,  a 
spacious  and  well-ventilated  room,  supplied  with  all  needed 
medicines  of  the  best  quality;  easy  chairs,  tables,  flowers  in 
abundance,  papers  and  clean,  inviting  beds  and  various  other 
articles  adorn  this  room.  The  sick  are  treated  with  skill,  fidel- 
ity and  kindness  by  Doctor  Casey.  The  light  formerly  used 
was  gas,  which  was  superceded  by  electricity,  a  system  of 
perfect  illumination.  The  entire  institution,  including-  resi- 
dences of  the  officials,  is  lighted  by  this  system.  Each  cell 
is  provided  with  a  ten-candle-power  lamp,  and  each  corner 
of  the  outside  walls  has  a  large  headlight  reflector  placed  on 
it.  Steam  is  used  for  heating  purposes,  and  a  comfortable 
temperature  is  maintained  during  the  season  requiring  arti- 
ficial heat. 

On  the  bluff  overlooking  the  prison  is  a  large  reservoir, 
into  which  is  pumped  water  from  the  river,  whence  it  is  dis- 
tributed into  the  various  shops  and  residences  on  the  prison 
ground.  Back  of  the  reservoir  is  the  prison  cemetery,  where 
many  of  my  crime-stained  brothers  were  laid  to  rest,  whose 
bodies  eventually  found,  or  will  find,  their  way  to  some 
medical  institute,  or  into  the  private  sanctum  of  ambitious 
students  throughout  the  state. 

The  prison  yard  is  set  to  blue  grass,  and  is  beautiful  and 
cheerful  to  the  unfortunates  here ;  flowers  and  shrubs  grow 
in  profusion  along  the  walks  and  adorn  the  shop  windows, 


K.\<  ni\<;   DAYS  AND   I)AKI\<;   l)i-:i-:ns 


and  trailing  vines  scale  the  walls  in  every  direction.  A  green- 
house is  kept  for  preserving  these  beauties  of  nature,  and  in 
front  of  the  "Bell  House"  is  a  fountain,  in  which  are  growing 
beautiful  water  lilies,  about  whose  stems  sport  lively  gold- 
fish. 

The  cell-room  contains  three  tiers  of  cells,  styled  ''first, 
second  and  third  ranges,  north,"  and  "first,  second  and  third 
ranges,  south,"  which  furnish  homes  for  the  boys,  at  present 
about  four  hundred. 

The  prison  library  contains  eight  thousand  volumes  of  the 
choicest  reading  matter,  on  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  and  books 
are  distributed  to  the  cells  on  Tuesday  and  Saturday  of  each 
week.  The  night  school,  which  commences  October  first  and 
continues  until  the  following  May  of  each  year,  is  one  of  the 
most  beneficial  features  of  the  institution.  Many  young  men 
come  here  who  are  unable  to  read,  and  who  go  out  at  the  ex- 
piration of  their  sentences  with  a  practical  education.  The 
chaplain,  W.  G.  Gunn,  conducts  both  the  library  and  the 
school,  and  is,  therefore,  doing  a  grand  work  for  the  state 
and  humanit}'. 

The  contractors  give  their  men  salaries  ranging  from  two 
to  six  dollars  per  month,  which  money  they  are  allowed  to 
spend  for  groceries,  etc.  The  goods  are  delivered  on  Saturday 
of  each  week,  and,  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the 
clerk,  are  put  into  the  cells,  the  doors  locked,  and  when  the 
prisoner  returns  at  night  finds  everything  he  ordered. 

At  six  o'clock  every  morning  the  men  are  unlocked  and 
marched  to  their  respective  shops,  where  they  wash,  and  at 
each  tap  of  the  bell  a  company  starts  for  the  dining-room. 
When  all  are  seated  at  the  tables,  the  deputy  warden  rings  a 
hand  bell,  whereupon  the  men  set  to  eating,  and  the  noise  they 
create  with  the  "click"  and  "snap"  of  knives  and  forks  fills 
the  new  recruit  with  a  variety  of  peculiar  sensations.  A  score 
of  waiters  are  kept  busy  carrying  food,  but  no  one  is  allowed 
to  speak  during  the  meal — a  silly,  barbarous  rule.  If  one 
wants  bread  he  must  hold  up  one  hand ;  coffee,  a  cup ;  meat,  a 
fork.  Thus  everything  is  carried  on  by  signals,  and  when  the 
men  are  through  eating  the  deputy  taps  his  cane  on  the  floor 
and  they  rise,  company  after  company,  and  march  back  to 
their  shops.  The  same  maneuver  is  repeated  at  dinner.  At 
supper  time  they  march  past  a  long  table,  from  which  each 
man  takes  as  much  bread  as  he  wants,  a  slice  of  cheese  or 
sausage  and  a  cup  of  coffee  or  cake,  and  passes  on  with  the 
company  to  the  cell-room.  Each  man  enters  his  own  cell, 


£40  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

closes  the  door  and  holds  his  hand  on  it  until  it  is  locked — 
thus  the  treadmill  continues  week  after  week  and  year  after 
year. 

Men  wishing  to  see  the  doctor  must  report  to  the  "sick 
table,"  where  bread,  rice  and  water  constitute  a  meal.  On  all 
holidays,  as  a  sort  of  compromise  to  the  "sick  table"  affair, 
a  Delmonico  spread  is  provided,  which  I  consider  to  be  one  of 
the  most  pernicious  features  of  prison  life. 

Prisoners  are  allowed  to  write  once  in  six  weeks,  except 
there  be  urgent  business,  and  in  that  event  a  special  permit 
to  write  is  granted.  They  are  also  allowed  to  subscribe  for 
any  of  the  weekly  or  daily  newspapers,  or  their  friends  can 
send  them  such  as  they  wish. 

The  attendance  at  religious  services  Sunday  morning-  is 
compulsory,  owing-  to  there  being  work  in  the  cell-room  which 
cannot  be  done  while  the  men  are  in  their  cells.  The  attend- 
ance at  Sabbath  school  is  voluntary,  and  about  two-thirds  of 
the  men  respond.  Mr.  Samuel  Doyle  is  our  superintendent, 
and  the  classes  are  taught  by  benevolent  ladies  and  gentlemen 
of  Fort  Madison.  Conspicuous  among  these  are  Mr.  Pound, 
Mrs.  General  Gilchrist,  Mrs.  Knoch  and  others,  and  up  to  his 
death,  of  recent  date,  the  venerable  Judge  Beck,  who,  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  established  the  Sunday  school,  visited  us,  and 
with  his  s'uperior  wisdom  unfolded  the  word  of  God  to  a  class. 
Messrs.  Holt,  Doyle  and  Foster  and  other  gentlemen  are  also 
untiring  in  their  efforts  to  encourage  and  enlighten  the  boys. 
These  good  people  have  led  scores  of  men  to  see  their  folly, 
and  have,  by  their  patience  and  loving  kindness',  won  them 
back  to  themselves  and  to  society. 

The  late  Miss  Jennie  Cassiday,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
who  had  been  an  invalid  all  her  life,  thought  she  would  like 
to  do  something  that  would  bring  sunshine  and  hope  to  the 
inmates  of  jails  and  penitentiaries,  therefore  she  organized  a 
"Flower  Mission  Society"  in  her  own  state,  and,  on  her  birth- 
day (June  9th)  of  each  year,  sent  a  beautiful  bouquet  to  the 
prisoners.  The  W.  C.  T.  U.  ladies  of  Iowa  grasped  the  idea, 
and  each  year  visit  this  institution,  presenting  to  each  pris- 
oner a  lovely  bouquet  of  lovely  flowers  as  a  token  of  Miss 
Cassiday's  love,  but  specially  to  remind  them  of  what  God 
would  have  them  be.  Heaven  alone  can  measure  the  sfood  that 
is  being  accomplished  by  these  divine  Sunday  school  teachers 
and  blessed  angels  of  the  "Flower  Mission."  Besides, these 
pleasant  features  of  prison  life,  the  warden  takes  special  p^ins 
to  secure  public  speakers  of  note  to  address  the  boys. 

Atheists   say  that  the  founder  of  Christianity  is  an  im- 


KXUTI.M;   DAYS  AND  DARING   DKKDS  -J 1 1 

poster;  that  his  followers  are  "canting  fanatics,"  etc.  Sup- 
pose I  admit  this  to  be  true  (which  I  do  not),  does  it  follow 
that  the  principle  of  Christianity  is  also  false?  Not  by  any 
means.  Christ  has  brought  forth  a  doctrine  that  will  save 
us  all  if  we  will  only  abide  by  it.  He  may  have  been  a  Devil 
incarnate,  and  these  angels  of  mercy  "canting  fanatics,"  I  care 
nothing  about  that,  as  I  do  not  embrace  any  man  or  woman 
in  my  religious  faith.  All  I  care  for  is  the  truth,  which  I  will 
accept  from  Saint  or  Devil.  These  self-sufficient  people,  who 
style  themselves  "free-thinkers,"  gather  around  the  festive 
board,  bump  glasses  and  utter  this  prayer:  "We  thank  thee, 
O  illustrious  Bacchus,  that  we  are  not  as  this  impostor 
(Christ),  who  wants  to  rescue  the  perishing,  or  even  as  these 
publicans  dressed  in  stripes.  We  are  as  treacherous  as  hell, 
get  drunk  twice  a  week  and  pay  to  thee  tithes  of  all  that  we 
possess.  While  we  thus  honor  and  adore  thee,  oh  mighty 
Bacchus,  these  'canting  fanatics' — the  loveliest,  best  and  pur- 
est women  of  our  glorious  country — are  going  about  the  jails 
and  penitentiaries,  and  even  into  the  hedgeways  of  vice  and 
sin,  making  proselytes  of  our  former  associates  and  leading 
them  to  a  higher  plane  of  thought,  hope  and  happiness ;  there- 
fore, Oh  Supreme  One,  we  beseech  thee  to  stop  this  interfer- 
ence with  thy  fiendish  purpose  and  turn  the  army  of  souls  to- 
ward thy  brilliant  throne  of  fire,"  and  the  glasses  clink  with 
their  hellish  "amen."  These  same  people  say  that  "assistance 
in  time  of  need  and  good  will  toward  men  is  the  best  and  most 
practical  religion  to  embrace."  Do  they  practice  this  doc- 
trine? No.  I  have  been  in  this  prison  nearly  twelve  years, 
and  have  yet  to  see  a  party  of  infidels  here  with  flowers, 
papers  or  a  band  of  music  to  cheer  and  comfort  the  boys.  If 
any  person  ever  needed  "assistance  and  good  will"  it  is  the 
convict. 

Infidelity  says,  "The  criminal  is  a  creature  of  destiny  and 
unworthy  of  consideration."  Christianity  holds  that  he  is 
made  in  the  image  of  God,  and  has  in  him  that  which  entitles 
him  to  salvation.  Therefore  Christ's  angels  of  mercy  and  love 
pursue  the  wayward  boy,  rescue  him  from  the  very  jaws  of 
hell,  and  make  it  possible  for  him  to  again  became  a  useful 
and  respected  member  of  society.  Christianity  has  trans- 
formed the  prisons  from  veritable  hells  into  homes  for  the 
friendless  and  prodigal  sons,  and  has  opened  wide  the  gates 
of  charity  so  that  a  little  sunshine  and  mirth  may  enter  to 
cheer  and  gladden  the  hearts  of  those  bound  in  the  fetters  of 
civil  law.  Warden  Crosley  and  the  prison  contractors  gave 
the  boys  an  entertainment  on  Christmas  day,  1885,  since 
which  time  we  have  had  on  each  recurring  holiday  some  sort 


24:2  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

of  a  jollification  in  the  chapel,  followed  by  two  or  three  hours 
of  uninterrupted  intercourse  with  one  another  in  the  yard, 
supplemented  with  "music  by  the  band." 

There  is  no  place  on  the  globe  that  affords  a  better  op- 
portunity in  which  the  study  of  human  nature1  can  be  more 
thorough  and  complete  than  a  prison.  I  have,  from  my  earli- 
es  youth,  been  a  close  observer  of  the  habits  and  peculiarities 
of  the  domestic  animals,  as  well  as  of  their  wild  brothers  on 
the  plains,  and  must  say,  since  I  like  to  study  human  nature, 
that  I  like  a  prison  for  my  teacher.  Everything  in  and  about 
it  is  so  convenient  and  comes  so  natural  that  I  need  only  keep 
my  eyes  open  to  what  is  passing  around  me  to  learn  lifelong 
lessons  of  practical  usefulness ;  besides  the  prison  presents  ex- 
tra advantages  no  other  institution  can  offer.  It  is  admirably 
adapted  in  many  ways,  if  not  desirable  in  others,  therefore  I 
have  a  grand  opportunity  in  which  to  gratify  the  natural  bent 
of  my  mind  in  the  study  and  contemplation  of  man.  While  I 
have  been  closely  observant  of  the  traits  and  peculiarities  of 
my  fellow  prisoners,  I  have  not  neglected  to  take  a  peep  into 
the  innermost  recesses  of  my  own  nature,  from  which  I  con- 
clude that  the  individuality  of  man  is  an  extraordinary  thing, 
and  extremely  difficult  to  comprehend.  I  have,  however,  come 
to  know  my  own  pretty  well  from  having  had,  in  these  long 
years  of  confinement,  on  the  one  hand,  to  rely  solely  on  my- 
self, and  on  the  other,  from  having  had  to  associate  in  silence 
with  people  who  are  strangers  to  me.  This  self-dependence 
and  enforced  silence  breeds  thought,  and  thought,  coupled 
with  judicious  reading,  has  brought  me  a  genuine  discrim- 
inative knowledge  of  men  and  things,  which  enables  me  to 
judge  something  of  their  nature  and  relations  to  each  other. 
The  more  I  read  and  think,  the  more  my  mind  expands  and 
reaches  out  into  realms  of  the  unseen  in  its  effort  to  grasp 
the  meaning  of  God  in  nature. 

I  once  stood  before  the  furnaces  of  the  great  smelting 
works  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  watched  the  process  of  extract- 
ing the  precious  metal  from  the  rough,  unsightly  ore.  I  had 
no  idea  then  that  I  must  pass  through  a  similar  fiery  trial 
before  my  better  self,  like  the  silver,  would  appear.  But  such 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  243 

has  been  the  case,  for  what  giant  powder  and  the  smelter  did 
for  the  quartz,  in  order  to  reveal  the  pure  metal,  sorrow,  ad- 
versity, imprisonment  and  sympathetic  friends — the  latter,  all 
instruments  in  the  hand  of  God — have  been  necessary  to  bring 
out  the  gold  and  silver  of  my  nature.  I  mean  to  say  that, 
through  this  awful  process  of  smelting  and  refining,  I  have 
refound  those  pure  thoughts,  honest  purposes,  sturdy,  manly 
principles  and  the  desire  to  do  right  which  was  so  character- 
istic of  my  youth  and  early  manhood,  and  which  I  shall,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  retain  to  the  end. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

My  parents  were  inveterate  readers  and  thoroughly  versed 
in  the  scriptures,  and,  of  course,  had  many  friendly  argu- 
ments on  the  promises  of  God  and  the  plan  of  salvation. 
Father  was  not  by  any  means  an  atheist,  nor  yet  a  universalist 
in  the  broadest  sense.  He  thought  there  would  be  made  a 
vii-tinction  in  the  future  disposition  of  men,  "If  not,  why  the 
many  mansions  of  our  Savior,"  and  "The  seventh  Heaven 
which  Paul  was  permitted  to  see":  He  believed  there  were 
even  more  Heavens  than  the  number  named  by  the  apostle, 
"Else  why  stop  at  seven,  why  not  say  the  last  Heaven?"  He 
also  believed  that  truth'fulness,  honesty,  chastity  and  charity 
were  the  only  requirements  necessary  to  attain  to  the  highest 
state  of  future  bliss.  Mother,  on  the  contrary,  clung  stoutly 
to  the  tenets  of  orthodoxy,  and  held  that  faith  in,  and  belief 
on,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  the  only  way  in  which  eternal 
happiness  could  or  would  be  attained.  She,  dear  soul,  taught 
me  at  her  knee  to  pray  and  reverence  our  Savior,  and  in  all 
my  youthful  follies,  wanderings  on  the  plains,  and  participa- 
tions in  crime  I  have  not  been  able,  except  at  short  intervals, 
to  escape  the  holy  influences  of  her  prayers,  though  she  has 
been  dead  nearly  thirty-five  years.  My  earliest  recollections 
are  that  I  slept  in  the  same  bed  with  her,  and  each  night,  be- 
fore retiring,  lisped  on  my  knees  a  sweet  little  prayer,  and  each 
morning,  kneeling  in  the  bed,  put  up  my  little  hands  in  the 
same  manner  and  repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer;  was  then 
kissed,  washed  and  dressed  and  taken  in  to  breakfast.  Since 
then  I  have,  by  turns,  been  a  skeptic  and  a  scoffer,  not  at  the 
principles  of  religion,  but  at  those  who  professed  them;  yet 
failed  to  carry  them  out  in  deed  as  well  as  in  word,  and  am 
now  conscious  that  I  was  as  sinful  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  as 
those  whom  I  condemned  for  insincerity.  I  sinned  in  not 
heeding  the  lessons  taught  me  by  my  sweet  hearted  mother, 
which  were,  and  are  still,  of  greater  value  to  me  than  the 
treasures  of  Ophir ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  essence  of  the 
Devil  in  my  nature,  I  should  have  identified  myself  long  be- 
fore I  did  with  the  true  lovers  and  followers'  of  the  Lord  whom 
she  served  and  adored.  She  was  a  member  of  that  much 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DKKDS 


abused  sect  denominated  "Shouting  Methodist."  The  holy 
character  and  divine  teachings  of  my  mother  have  served  me 
well  in  my  confinement,  for  since  June,  1884,  when  Warden 
Crosley  allowed  me  to  join  the  prison  Sunday  school,  they 
have  been  constantly  before  my  eyes,  urging  and  admonishing 
and  gently  leading  me  into  the  ways  of  righteousness.  For 
four  years  I  was  instructed  in  the  laws  of  love  and  purity  by 
Mrs.  Sophia  Deomude,  a  most  excellent  Christian  lady  of  Fort 
Madison.  On  entering  her  class  I  was  as  ignorant  of  the 
higher  orders  of  literature,  mental  philosophy  and  sacred  and 
profane1  history,  as  I  was  indifferent  to  the  blessed  truths  she 
so  beautifully  unfolded  to  me.  She  continued,  however,  to  ply 
me  with  questions  that  would  tax  the  erudition  of  a  Beecher 
or  a  Talmage  to  answer.  "Now,  Mr.  Wells,"  she  would  say, 
"What  do  you  think  of  Paul's  doctrine  of  election?"  and 
"How  do  you  interpert  this  passage  concerning  the  return  of 
the  prodigal  son?"  She  finally  interested  me,  or  at  least  made 
me  ashamed  of  my  stupidity  and  ignorance  in  such  momentous 
subjects  ;  therefore  I  searched  history,  the  Bible  and  religious 
literature  for  matter  relative  to  each  Sunday's  lesson,  and 
studied  hard  in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  render  an  intelli- 
gent reply.  I  succeeded  to  such  an  extent  that  she  referred 
all  the  difficult  questions  asked  by  other  members  of  the  class 
to  me  for  an  explanation.  It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  ac- 
knowledge my  gratitude  and  obligations  to  this  splendid  little 
woman,  who  is  the  true  mother  of  my  intellectual  and  spiritual 
growth,  as  well  as  my  contentment.  The  fortress  of  doubt 
and  the  sophistry  of  infidelity  were  undermined  by  her  zeal 
and  childlike  faith,  and  it  is  to  her  sweet  voice,  patience  and 
kind  advice  that  I  ascribe  my  invincible  love  of  reading,  which 
I  deem  more  precious  than  the  treasures  of  many  Eldorados. 

Having  distinguished  myself  as  a  Bible  student,  I  was 
then  permitted  to  join  the  choir  class,  which  was  taught  by 
Mrs.  Edna  M.  Crosley,  wife  of  Warden  Crosley.  This  angel 
of  a  woman  seemed  deeply  interested  in  me  from  the  start,  and 
sought,  in  every  honorable  way  possible,  to  win  me  from  my- 
self and  from  the  snares  of  the  Devil.  I  confess,  with  shame, 
that  I  was  sometimes  so  ungallant  as  to  ask  her  perplexing 
questions  regarding  the  "reasonableness  and  justifiableness  of 
vicarious  atonement,"  the  "improbability  of  the  divine  nature 
or  element  in  Christ,"  and  presumed  to  class  his  miracles  in 
the  category  of  fraud  and  jugglery."  She  was  very  kind,  and 
ordinarily  timid,  but,  when  I  provoked  her,  became  bold  and 
aggressive,  defending  her  cause  with  dispatch  and  effective- 
ness ;  her  lustrous  brown  eyes,  flashing  with  holy  enthusiasm, 
as  she,  in  verification  of  her  position,  poured  forth  a  stream 


246  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

of  eloquence  that  would  have  delighted  a  Phillips  or  a  Cooke. 
These  outbursts  of  eloquence  and  enthusiasm  were  very  bene- 
ficial to  me,  and  this  is  the  only  excuse  I  have  to  offer  for 
occasionally  drawing  them  out.  The  mantle  of  love,  patience, 
kindness  and  Christian  helpfulness  so  modestly  and  so  effec- 
tively worn  by  Mrs.  Crosley  could  not  have  descended  upon 
a  more  zealous,  intelligent,  Christ-like  character  than  Mrs.  Dr. 
Smith,  of  this  city.  This  eminently  cultured,  world-wide 
traveler  and  Biblical  scholar  built  largely  and  widely  upon  the 
spiritual  walls  (the  foundations  of  which  were  laid  in  my  na- 
ture by  my  dear  mother)  so  gently  and  so  rapidly  reared  by 
Mrs.  Deomude  and  Mrs.  Crosley.  She,  by  her  wisdom  and 
devotion  to  the  Master,  broadened  my  mental  horizon,  in- 
creased my  faith  and  strengthened  my  grasp  on  the  blissful 
beyond. 

These  three  blessed  women,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
weeks,  have  been  mjy  spiritual  guides  and  comforters,  and,  of 
the  teachers  heretofore  mentioned,  they  stand  pre-eminently 
above  them  all  as  Christian  workers.  Mrs.  Smith  has  at 
present  sixteen  men  in  her  class,  every  one  of  whom  loves  and 
respects  her,  and  believes  her  to  be  a  true  friend,  not  only 
in  the  spirit  but  in  the  flesh  as  well.  She  possesses,  in  a 
superlative  degree,  that  finesse  (sometimes  called  tact)  so 
essential  to  success  in  handling  grown  pupils.  Her  presence 
inspires  respect,  but  neither  fear  nor  awe,  and  her  extreme 
politeness  is1  equalled  only  by  her  apparent  sincerity.  She 
makes  war  upon  vices,  not  persons;  and  corrects  those  that 
err  without  insulting  them.  Her  selections  and  explanations 
of  scripture  texts  excites  none  but  happy  passions,  which 
move  the  heart  without  depraving  it.  She  pleases  us  without 
soothing  our  frailties ;  engages  our  attention  without  amusing 
us  with  trivial  and  ridiculous  tales ;  makes  us  know  God  with- 
out representing  Him  under  images  unworthy  of  the  divine 
nature;  surprises  us  without  leading  us  astray  through  fan- 
tastic regions  and  chimerical  wonders;  always  agreeable  and 
helpful ;  noble  by  bold  expressions,  glowing  figures,  and  still 
more  so  by  the  blessed  truths  with  which  she  fills  the  mind 
and  heart.  Ten  thousand  such  teachers  working  in  concert 
would,  in  one  year,  sweep  the  rum  traffic  and  infidelity  into 
Hades,  to  keep  company  with  their  triplet  brother,  Slavery. 

I  shall  ever  reverence  and  remember,  with  feelings  of 
love  and  gratitude,  Mrs.  Deomude,  Mrs.  Crosley  and  Mrs. 
Smith  (three  star-crowned  ladies)  for  leading  me  "into  the 
light  that  lighteth  every  man  (who  is  willing)  that  cometh 
into  the  world."  Besides  my  gratitude  to  these  ladies,  I  am 
under  lasting  obligations  of  love  and  respect  toward  many 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  247 

other  good  people,  among  whom  are  ex-Governor  Wm.  Larra- 
bee,  of  Clermont;  Rev.  J.  G.  Lemen  of  Council  Bluffs;  Hon. 
W.  G.  Ken,  Judge  Casey,  M.  T.  Butterfield,  Samuel  Doyle  and 
others  of  Fort  Madison,  Iowa — it  is  worth  some  years  of  life, 
even  in  prison,  to  have  won  the  admiration  and  friendship  of 
such  a  galaxy  of  kind,  gentle,  intellectual,  refined  Christian 
men  and  women,  and  I  feel  exceedingly  proud  of  the  fact ;  and 
to  me  the  unaffected  love  of  one  such  man  as  Senator  Kent  is 
of  greater  value  than  the  treasures  of  India. 

Some  of  my  beloved  friends  have  passed  over  Jordan, 
others  are  far  away,  yet  the  spirits  of  all  are  set  about  the 
firmament  of  my  existence,  encouraging  me  to  righteous  acts 
and  pure  thoughts,  always  directing  or  leading  me  toward 
the  Lamb  of  God,  which  is,  to  my  mind,  an  absolute  demon- 
stration of  the  visitation  of  embodied  spirits  to  which  I  have 
already  alluded.  I  believe  that  the  spirits  of  men,  though 
their  bodies  are  a  thousand  miles  apart  and  alive,  yet  dead  in 
sleep,  communicate  with  one  another  on  a  variety  of  subjects. 
Greater  men  than  I  believed  the  same.  Shakespeare  believed 
that  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  in  some  measure,  affected  the  liv- 
ing. Napoleon  had  his  star  (a  friendly  spirit)  which  led  him 
to  success.  Constantine,  the  great,  saw  a  cross  in  the  sky 
(the  spirit,  no  doubt,  of  one  of  the  apostles),  which  he  in- 
terpreted as  an  omen  of  victory.  Jesse  James,  when  about  to 
commit  some  unlawful  act,  invariably  saw  the  same  white 
horse  and  rider  at  his  side,  and  which  was  invisible  to  his 
comrades.  I  never  heard  what  interpretation,  if  any,  Jesse 
put  upon  this  stranger's  visits,  but  I  venture  to  say  he  was 
always  affected  by  them.  The  actions  of  all  men  are  affect- 
ed, more  or  less,  by  the  invisible.  The  bodies  of  Socrates, 
Milton,  Raphael  and  Mendelssohn  have  long  ago  crumbled  to 
dust.  Are  they  dead  by  reason  of  this  fact?  No.  Socrates, 
through  his  philosophy ;  Milton,  through  "Paradise  Lost" ; 
Raphael,  through  his  matchless  paintings,  and  Mendelssohn, 
through  his  music,  speak  to,  and  influence,  thousands,  and 
will  continue  to  do  so  as  long  as  the  human  race  shall  last. 
The  law  makers,  and  especially  mobs,  should  consider  this 
subject  and  govern  their  enactments  toward  the  delinquent 
members  of  society  accordingly,  for  I  most  solemnly  declare 
that  the  soul  of  man  is  not  the  result  of  material  organization, 
but  is  a  principle  capable  of  exercising  its  faculties  inde- 
pendently of  the  bodily  organs ;  therefore  by  killing,  or  even 
by  imprisoning,  the  body  of  an  offender,  he  is  not  by  any 
means  disposed  of,  as  the  revengeful  essence,  the  evil  spirit, 
still  lurks  about  and  waits  to  take  its  revenge,  through  some 
disconsolate  individual,  upon  its  adversaries. 


248  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

Spirits  do  return  under  favorable  circumstances,  and  any 
one  believing  the  Bible  dare  not  deny  it.  And  these  same 
favorable  circumstances  are  governed  by  the  individual's  pa"- 
ticular  mood.  If  he  contemplates  committing  an  unlawful 
act,  legions  of  the  imps  of  hell  are  instantly  at  his  side, 
prodding  him  with  reminders  of  his  real  or  imaginary  wrongs, 
offering  suggestions  and  urging  him  forward.  On  the  other 
hand,  when,  after  having  accomplished  his  purpose,  he  re- 
flects on  his  evil  act  and  begins  to  feel  sorry  for  doing  it  (the 
inevitable  result  of  every  sin,  I  care  not  how  desperate  the  man 
may  have  become),  then  the  white-robed  hosts  of  heaven, 
having  followed  him  all  the  while,  though  he  comprehended  it 
not,  now  approach  him  and  console  him  with  the  promise, 
''Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest,"  and  ''Turn  ye  from  thy  sin  and  I  will 
remember  thy  transgression  no  more  forever."  Then  he 
makes  the  grandest  and  noblest  resolutions,  only  to  break 
them  again  and  again.  Many  a  time  have  I  passed  through 
such  an  ordeal,  and,  on  various  occasions,  thought  my  body 
would  be  rent  asunder,  so  fierce  was  the  contest  between  the 
emotions  of  right  and  wrong.  I  shall  write  another  book  on 
crime,  criminals  and  prison  management,  in  which  I  will  dis- 
cuss more  fully  this  subject  of  good  and  bad  influences  of 
disembodied  spirits. 

Mrs.  Deomude,  my  first  Sunday  school  teacher,  having 
created  in  me  anjntense  desire  for  knowledge,  and  determined 
to  find  out,  if  possible,  the  true  religion,  the  will  and  pur- 
poses of  God  concerning  me,  I  "girded  on  the  whole  armor" 
of  zeal  and  persistent  effort.  From  fiction  and  daily  papers 
I  turned  to  the  graver  sorts  of  literature.  The  first  thing 
that  impressed  fne  was  Solomon's  advice :  "My  son,  hear  the 
instruction  of  thy  father,  and  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy 
mother."  I  felt  deeply  convicted  of  my  sin  for  not  heeding 
the  one  and  ignoring  the  other,  and,  falling  on  my  knees,  be- 
sought God  to  cast  behind  Him1  my  transgressions  and  re- 
member them  no  longer  against  me.  Having  read  the  Bible 
through,  dwelling  upon  the  promises,  as  well  as  the  denuncia- 
tions, of  the  Lord,  I  took  up  Gibbon's  "Decline  and  Fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire,"  and,  lingering  with  the  fifteenth  to  the 
nineteenth  chapters  carefully  compared  the  zeal,  faith  and  con- 
stancy of  the  "Christian  Martyrs"  with  that  of  their  nineteenth 
century  brethren,  much  to  the  dfscredit  of  the  latter,  excepting 
always,  however,  my  Sunday  school  teachers.  I  next  read 
Shakespeare,  Pope's  Homer,  Virgil,  "Life  of  Christ,"  Voltair's 
"Philosophical  Dictionary,"  "Age  of  Reason,"  "Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress," "Mistakes  of  Moses,"  "Natural  Selections,"  "Origin  of 


,    EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS 


Species,"  "Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,"  "Origin  of  the 
World,"  by  Dawson,  the  celebrated  debate  between  Professor 
Huxley  and  Doctor  Wall,  and  many  other  works  similar  to 
these  were  devoured  by  my  insatiable  mind.  I  have,  in  fact, 
read  around  the  entire  circle  of  classical  literature,  comparing 
everything  with  the  Book  of  all  Books,  and  wherever  I  found 
a  "truth,"  either  in  God's  or  the  Devil's  literature,  "bound  it 
upon  the  tablets  of  my  heart,"  but  casting  aside  everything 
conflicting  with  the  word  of  God. 

There  is  much  said  and  written  these  days  about  ungodly 
and  pernicious  literature,  which,  to  me,  seems  very  much  out 
of  place,  since  trials  and  temptations  are  necessary  to  the  high- 
er development  of  the  bodily  as  well  as  the  spiritual  functions. 
I  can  say,  with  all  candor,  that  I  never  read  a  book  in  which 
I  did  not  find  something  to  console  and  benefit  me,  something 
to  excite  my  pity  and  compassion  for  my  fellowman,  some- 
thing to  encourage  me  in  all  good  works,  something  to 
strengthen  my  belief  in  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God. 
Even  in  the  "Age  of  Reason,"  whose  author,  Thomas  Paine,  I 
have  been  taught  all  my  life  to  regard  as  the  pope  of  atheism 
and  hater  of  God,  I  find  this  declaration  of  faith,  which  is  as 
beautiful  as  it  is  extraordinary:  "I  content  myself,"  says  Mr. 
Paine,  "with  believing,  even  to  a  positive  conviction,  that  that 
power  (God)  which  gave  me  existence  is  able  to  continue  it 
in  any  form  or  manner  desired,  either  with  or  without  this 
body  ;  and  it  appears  to  me  more  probable  that  I  shall  con- 
tinue to  exist  hereafter  than  that  I  had  existence  as  I  now 
have  before  this  existence  began."  On  the  other  hand,  I  have 
found  much  that  is  calculated  to  lead  one  further  and  further 
from  God,  unless  he  has,  like  myself,  learned  wisdom  through 
the  things  he  has  suffered.  For  instance,  Professor  Huxley 
says,  "Star-dust  is  the  material  out  of  which  the  world  was 
formed."  Agassiz  holds  that  "Man  sprung,  not  from  one  cen- 
ter, but  from  several  centers  ;  not  from  one  human  pair,  but 
from  more  than  half  a  dozen  human  pairs."  Herbert  Spencer 
maintains  that  his  theory  of  force  is  sufficient  to  account  for 
the  world  as  it  is,  and  for  the  origin  of  the  human  race,  while 
Dr.  Darwin  is  equally  positive  that  "evolution"  is  the  royal 
road  by  which  man  ascended  from;  an  inanimate,  senseless 
atom  of  Nile  mud  to  a  mighty  giant  of  activity  and  intellectu- 
ality. Ministers  of  the  gospel,  men  whom  we  naturally  ex- 
pect to  uphold  the  word  of  God,  join  the  caravan  of  science 
(so  called)  and  by  their  sophistical,  and  in  some  instances 
blasphemous,  utterances,  are  filling  the  land  with  doubt  and 
skepticism.  Geologists  think  they  have  given  the  Bible  its 
"death-blow"  by  proving  that  this  little  planet  of  ours  has 


250  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

been  in  existence  for  millions  of  years.  Evolutionists  scoff  at  and 
ridicule  the  idea  that  God  created  all  things  out  of  nothing; 
and  scientists  have  "demonstrated,  beyond  a  doubt,"  that  it  is 
asolutely  impossible  for  a  whale  to  swallow  a  man,  while 
Bible  apologists  render  themselves  contemptible  in  the  sight 
of  man  and  insulting  to  God  by  attempting  to  show  that  the 
"great  fish,"  with  which  Jonah  had  such  a  remarkable  en- 
counter, "was  in  all  probability  a  white  shark."  Instead  of 
these  ridiculously  absurd  propositions,  I  prefer  to  accept  the 
plain,  unvarnished  statements  of  the  Bible,  i.  e.,  that  God  in 
the  beginning,  "created  all  things,"  and,  by  the  power  of  His 
word,  or,  "out  of  nothing,"  made  man  in  His  own  image.  To 
me  it  seems  infinitely  more  reasonable  to  believe  that  man  is 
the  product  of  an  all-powerful  and  all-wise  being  than  that  he 
should  evolve  from  nothing  into  a  tad-pole  and  from  that  into 
a  monkey,  etc.,  and  as  for  myself,  take  pride  in  believing  I  am 
a  child  of  love  and  intelligence,  rather  than  a  result  of  blind, 
insensible  laws ;  and  from  what  I  have  heard  and  read  con- 
cerning the  capacity  of  the  shark,  am  doubly  certain  that  Jonah 
was  not  in  that  creature's  maw;  besides,  I  believe  the  Lord 
knew  what  He  was  talking  about  when  He  said,  "Jonah  was 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly." 

The  efforts  of  these  super-wise  gentlemen  to  account  for 
the  origin  of  the  world  and  the  creation  of  man  are  as  unsat- 
isfactory as  their  theories  concerning  the  end  of  the  former  and 
the  final  disposition  of  the  latter.  Having  thoroughly  studied 
the  pros  and  cons  of  the  profoundest  thinkers  on  these  sub- 
jects, I  conclude  that  it  is  of  little  consequence  as  to  how  I 
came  into  the  world,  while  there  is  infinite  importance  attach- 
ing to  the  manner  and  condition  of  my  exit.  If  science  fas- 
cinates and  perplexes  the  mind,  the  platitudes  and  inconsist- 
encies emanating  from  the  pulpit  lacerate  the  soul,  and  either 
destroy  faith  in  the  purity  and  love  of  God,  or,  at  least,  render 
it  extremely  vacillating.  For  instance,  the  man  standing  on 
the  Lords  rostrum  hurls  over  the  sacred  desk,  in  tones  equal- 
ing, or  meant  to  equal,  the  thunderings  on  Mount  Sinai,  such 
incongruities  as  "if  you  multiply  one  hundred  billion  by  one 
hundred  billion  you  will  obtain  some  idea  of  the  intensity  of 
God's  hatred  for  sin,"  and  in  the  next  breath  declares,  "God 
is  infinite  love,  and,  while  He  desires  to  and  will  punish  sin, 
pities  the  sinner."  What  dazzling,  monstrous,  childish  ab- 
surdities. The  absurdity  lies  in  the  personification  of  the 
criminal  act,  "sin,"  and  the  declaration  "God's  hatred  for  sin." 
We  are  told  that  to  "please  God"  we  must  "love  what  He 
loves"  and  "hate  what  He  hates,"  and  a  little  later  we  are  con- 
fronted with  the  terrible  assertion,  "God  is  infinite  in  all  His 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  251 

attributes,  therefore  your  most  magnificent  gifts  will  not  add 
one  iota  to  His  treasure ;  your  most  eloquent  prayers  will  not 
secure  the  slightest  addition  to  His  mercy,  nor  will  a  lifetime 
of  good  works  insure  immunity  from  punishment."  The  Lord, 
if  I  read  the  Scriptures  aright,  was  delighted  with  Abel's  of- 
fering; that  "whatsoever  a  man  asketh,  believing,  shall  be 
given  unto  him,"  and  that  "God  loves  a  cheerful  giver."  Many 
of  the  Psalms  commence  in  melancholy  and  end  in  triumph, 
and  God,  in  answer  to  prayer,  sent  an  angfel  to  "strengthen 
Him" — Christ.  All  the  good  that  has  been  accomplished  is 
the  result  of  earnest,  agonizing  prayer;  all  the  evil  that  has 
been  committed  is,  also,  the  result  of  prayer.  God  loves  to 
answer  the  prayers  of  His  children ;  and  so  does  the  Devil, 
with  alacrity  and  in  hellish  glee  grant  the  petitions  of  his 
subjects. 

The  popular  thing  of  today  is  to  scoff  at  the  "old-fash- 
ioned Hell"  of  John  Wesley  and  the  stern  Tertullion,  as  well 
as  to  heap  ridicule  upon  the  Hell  of  the  Bible,  and  instead  a 
sort  of  a  classical  Hell — a  careful  separation  of  the  sheep  from 
the  goats — is  set  up.  I  once  encouraged  Nora  to  ask  my 
father  if  he  believed  in  a  "lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,"  where 
the  ungodly  would  be  punished  forever  and  forever.  "No," 
said  he,  "no  human  being  could  stand  it  for  a  moment,  to  say 
nothing  of  enduring  it  for  eternity."  There  are  living  germs, 
declares  science,  that  cannot  be  destroyed  by  boiling  water, 
and  that  the  salamander  (an  extinct  quadruped)  was  capable 
of  living  in  fire.  History  records  instances  of  men  having 
been  subjected  to.  that  element  for  hours,  and  in  some  cases  for 
days,  before  death  ensued.  In  1820,  in  what  is  now  Crowley 
County,  Kansas,  a  brave  general  of  the  United  States  army 
was  captured  by  the  Comanche  Indians,  who  kept  him  in  a 
circle  of  fire  and  compelled  him  to  walk  barefooted  on  the 
live  coals  for  two  days,  thus  burning  him  to  death  by  de- 
grees, and  the  burning  of  the  negro  in  Texas  recently  is  an- 
other proof  that  man  is  able,  for  a  short  time,  at  least,  to  live 
in  a  veritable  hell.  It  is  said  that  man  is  so  constituted  that  he 
can  adapt  himself  to  almost  any  condition  or  environment.  An 
evidence  of  this  is  noted  in  women  washing  dishes  or  clothes, 
they  can,  without  experiencing  any  pain,  hold  their  hands  in 
water  so  hot  as  to  remove  the  skin  from  a  man's  hand,  and 
the  Sullivan-Corbett  fight  convinces  me  that  human  flesh  can, 
by  proper  treatment,  be  prepared  to  undergo  the  torments  of 
Hell.  The  punishment  that  Sullivan  endured  would  kill  half 
a  dozen  ordinary  men — men  unprepared  for  such  an  ordeal. 
Heaven  and  Hell  will  be  to  the  unprepared  man  what  Cor- 
bett  would  be  to  an  amateur  pugilist.  Transport  a  man  to 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 


Heaven,  without  any  preparation  for  the  change,  and  the  joy 
and  splendors  meeting  him  there  would  be  as  fatal  to  his  exist- 
ence as  if  he  had  dropped  straight  into  Hell.  I  cannot  escape 
the  conviction  that  there  is  future  joy  or  pain  awaiting  man- 
kind, but  no  one  will  go  to  either  place  without  his,  or  her. 
own  consent.  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  defy  God  or  the  Devil, 
but  the  lines  are  so  closely  drawn  that  I  cannot  ignore  both 
the  love  of  the  one  and  the  hatred  of  the  other  at  the  same 
time ;  I  must  choose  between  God's  mercy  and  the  Devil's 
vengeance. 

Col.  R.  G.  Ingersoll,  the  priest  of  infidelity,  makes  a  great 
deal  of  fuss,  and  pours  out  sarcasm  by  the  barrel,  about  the 
"Saints  lookin^  over  the  battlements  of  Heaven  and  rejoicing 
to  see  the  greater  portion  of  mankind  undergoing  the  tor- 
ments of  perdition."  "Such  a  thing,"  says  he,  "would  be  ab- 
solutely impossible  for  a  civilized  human  being."  Let  us  ex- 
amine this  statement  a  little.  There  are,  according  to  the  lat- 
est prison  bulletins,  about  eighty-two  thousand  human  be- 
ings confined  in  the  various  penal  institutions,  jails  and  re- 
formatories in  the  United  Sates,  all  subjected  to  more  or  less 
punishment,  yet  the  rest  of  the  sixty-two  millions  of  people 
(Mr.  Ingersoll  included),  being  conscious  of  this  fact,  seem 
to  get  a  liberal  share  of  joy  and  satisfaction  out  of  the  situa- 
tion. Fathers,  mothers,  wives,  husbands,  sisters,  brothers, 
lovers  and  sweethearts  patronize  the  ball-room,  theater,  circus, 
state  and  county  fairs  and  other  places  of  amusement,  and. 
despite  the  fact  that  some  one  near  and  dear  to  them  is  lan- 
guishing in  prison  (in  torment),  seem  to  enjoy  themselves  im- 
mensely notwithstanding.  Now  then,  if  people  can  become  so 
steeped  in  the  venalities  of  this  world  to  forget,  for  the  time 
being,  the  sufferings  of  their  dear  ones,  it  is  quite  probable 
(certainly  possible)  they  will  be  able,  when  experiencing  the 
delights  of  Heaven,  to  do  so  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan. 

Again  we  are  told  that  the  Bible  is  full  of  contradictions, 
and  that  the  road  leading  to  perdition  is  well  lubricated  so  as 
to  accelerate  our  movements  in  that  direction.  As  to  the  first, 
I  have  to  say  that  the  discrepancies  found  in  the  Bible  are 
due  to  the  Devil,  not  God.  I  believe  the  Bible  is  as  much  the 
work  of  the  former  as  it  is  the  word  of  the  latter ;  that  the 
prophets  and  sacred  writers  often  mistook  the  voice  of  Satan 
for  that  of  Jehovah.  God  admonishes  us  to  "Turn  ye,  turn 
ye,  Oh  house  of  Israel,  for  why  will  ye  die?"  while  the  Devil 
commands  us  tx>  "Go*  in,  slay  old  and  young;  spare  not  one 
alive."  As  to  the  slippery  road,  I  must  say  that  I  found  it 
heavily  sanded,  and  covered  with  such  obstructions  as  honor- 
able desires,  worthy  purposes,  lofty  ambitions,  the  up"aised 


KxrniNG  DAYS  AND  DARING  DKKDS  253 

hands  of  little  children,  the  pleadings  of  sisters,  the  friendship 
of  brothers,  the  entreaties  of  wives,  the  counsel  of  father,  the 
prayers  of  dear  mother  and  the  eternal  love  of  my  blessed 
Savior.  Sam  Jones  says,  "There  is  but  one  road,  one  end  of 
which  enters  Hell  and  the  other  Heaven."  I  have  traveled  in 
both  directions,  and,  at  first,  found  progress  Heavenward  fully 
as  difficult  as  the  opposite  course. 

When  I  gave  my  heart  to  God  I  thought  I  would  have 
nothing  further  to  do  but  serenely  sail  into  the  glory  on 
"flowery  beds  of  ease" ;  but  I  was  sadly  mistaken,  for,  at  first, 
I  met  at  every  turn  in  the  road  with  new  and  terrible  diffi- 
culties. Temptations,  to  which  I  have  already  alluded,  beset 
me  on  every  hand;  I  felt  morose  and  suspicious  and  suspected 
that  everybody  was  trying  to  injure  me ;  and  the  many  little 
kindnesses  bestowed  on  me  by  sympathizing  friends  were  at- 
tributed to  sinister  motives ;  besides  the  more  I  read  and  the 
harder  I  studied  the  more  my  mind  became  imbued  with  doubt 
and  skepticism.  At  times  I  seemed  to  lose  sight  of  the  prom-, 
ises  of  God,  and  the  consciousness  of  the  drawings  of  His 
holy  Spirit,  and  gave  myself  up  to  feelings  of  vengeance,  dis- 
trust and  even  hatred  toward  my  fellow  man.  I  laughed  at 
the  idea  of  an  "immaculate  conception,"  and  seriously  ques- 
tioned the  genuineness  of  miracles,  yet  all  the  while  believing 
in  the  goodness,  wisdom  and  power  of  God.  .  About  this  time, 
1889,  while  so  terribly  wrought  up  by  these  matters,  I  hap- 
pened, providentially,  no  doubt,  to  get  hold  of  a  magazine 
containing  one  of  Professor  Huxley's  masterful  arguments,  in 
which  he  said :  "From  all  I  know  of  physiological  and  patho- 
logical science,  I  find  nothing  in  the  story  of  the  conception 
and  birth  of  Christ,  as  related  by  Mark,  that  contravenes 
probability."  This  remarkable  concession,  by  the  leading  sci- 
entist of  the  day,  relieved  my  mind  very  much,  and  I  said, 
"This  intellectual  giant  having  virtually  admitted  that  Christ 
is  the  son  of  God,  then  why  should  I  longer  entertain  doubt 
as  to  His  divine  origin?"  A  few  days  later  Mrs.  Crosley  sent 
me  a  copy  of  "Robert  Elsmer,"  with  the  request  that  I  should 
"carefully  and  prayerfully  read  it  through."  I  had  read  many 
adverse  criticisms  on  this  book,  emanating  from  the  clergy, 
therefore,  I  never  read  any  work  with  deeper  interest,  or  with 
greater  determination  to  comprehend  its  meaning.  I  returned 
the  book  with  a  note  stating  I  heartily  and  cheerfully  sub- 
scribed to  the  "New  Brotherhood,"  the  motto  being:  "In  thee, 
oh  eternal,  have  I  put  my  trust:  this  do  in  remembrance  of 
me."  The  more  I  studied  over  this  book  the  more  thoroughly 
I  became  convinced  that  "Robert  Elsmere"  had  failed  in  his 
purpose.  With  all  his  love  and  eloquence  he  could  not  shake 
the  faith  of  the  sweet,  the  pure  and  devoted  Catherine,  who 


254  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

said,  "I  will  never  give  up  hope ;  I  will  pray  for  you  (Robert) 
night  and  day.  God  will  bring  you  back."  Assailing  Cather- 
ine with  skeptical  philosophy  of  himself  and  friends,  together 
with  the  sophistry  of  Squire  Wendover,  and  a  strong  appeal 
to  her  love  for  him,,  Robert  succeeded  only  in  wringing  from 
her  heart  this  concession :  "I  will  learn  to  hear  the  two  voices, 
the  voice  that  speaks  to  you  and  the  voice  that  speaks  to  me." 

"Robert  Elsmer"  declares  that  Christ  is  merely  a  "sym- 
bol," and  that  a  miracle  is  a  "natural  product  of  human  feeling 
and  imagination."     Yet  he  allows  his  imagination  to  clothe 
Christ  ("a  being  composed  of  ordinary  flesh  and  properties") 
with  attributes  that,  admitting  Him  to  be  only  human,  resolve 
themselves  into  a  more  stupendous    miracle    than    any    ascribed 
to  our  Savior.    I  read  another  paper  from  the  pen  of  Professor 
(Huxley,  in  which  he,  in  speaking  of  one  of  Christ's  miracles, 
says,  "There  are  physical  things,  such  as  taenia  and  trichinae, 
which  can  be  transferred  from  man  to  pigs  and  vice  versa,  and 
which  do,  undoubtedly,  produce  most  diabolical  and  deadly 
effects  on  both.     For  anything  I  can  absolutely  prove  to  the 
contrary  there  may  be  spiritual  things  capable  of  the  same 
transmigration,  with  like  effects     *     *     *     so  I  declare  that  I 
am  unable  to  show  cause  why  these  transferable  devils  should 
not  exist."     The  reading  of  "Robert  Elsmer"  and  Professor 
Huxley's   articles  removed  all  doubts  as  to  the  incarnation, 
resurrection  and  miracles  of  Christ,  therefore,  the  transition 
from  a  physical  to  a  spiritual  faith  was  sudden  and  decided. 
Here  then  we  have  an  instance  of  pernicious  literature   (so 
called)    working    a   miracle  in  the  life  of  a  so-called  "very  bad 
man" — "to  the  pure  in  heart  all  things  are  pure,"  and  "to  him 
that  esteemeth  a  thing  to  be  unclean,  to  him  it  is  unclean." 
Having  once  for  all  made  this  transition  from  evil  thoughts  and 
malicious  purposes  to  worthy  ambitions  and  holy  desires,  my 
life  became  calm  and  less  easily  disturbed  by  outward  circum- 
stances.    Occurrences  that  once  set  my  brain  in  a  whirl  of 
excitement,  now  pass    me    almost    daily    without    affecting    me 
in  the  least,  except  to  arouse  my  sympathy  for,  and  desire  to 
help,  others  to  correct  their  errors.    The  enemy  of  my  soul  no 
longer  has  any  power  over  me,  and  when  he  does  appear  for  a 
moment  with  his  winsome  ways  and  beguiling  smiles,  I  only 
need  to  breathe  the  Lord's  name  to  banish  him  from  my  pres- 
ence. 

Men  of  superior  intelligence  ridicule  the  idea  that  invis- 
ible spirits  have  anything  to  do  with  the  good  or  bad  actions 
of  men,  yet  they  are  unable  to  otherwise  account  for  the 
righteousness  and  wickedness  surrounding  them.  I  believe, 
unqualifiedly,  in  a  personal  God  and  a  personal  Devil,  and  by 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DAR«.NC  DEEDS  255 

cultivating,  or  encouraging,  the  latter  I  could  keep  him  con- 
stantly at  my  side,  just  as  easily  as  I  now,  through  prayer, 
dwell  in  the  presence  and  love  of  my  Savior.  I  know  that  God 
is  pained  when  He  sees  men  exercise  themselves  in  treachery, 
deceit,  malice,  revenge,  intemperance  or  any  other  hurtful  vice, 
but  pleased  when  they  deal  in  justice,  sincerity,  friendship,  be- 
nevolence, love  and  all  helpful  virtues ;  while  the  Devil  de- 
lights to  have  them  practice  the  former,  and  roars  with  rage 
if  they  do  not  omit  the  latter. 

There  is  a  dual  existence  in  the  world  all  nature  cries 
aloud.  The  earth  has  its  centripetal  and  centrifugal  forces. 
God  sends  the  sunshine  and  the  rain  to  fill  the  land  with  fruit 
and  verdure  for  man's  use,  while  the  Kansas  cyclone,  the 
furious  breath  of  the  Devil,  sweeps  across  the  country,  par- 
tially destroying  everything  in  its  course.  This  leads  me  to 
declare  that  I  firmly  believe,  not  in  one,  but  in  two  trinities: 
"God  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost ;  God  Satan,  Devil  and 
Beelzebub" ;  both  infinite  in  their  purposes.  They  are  coeval, 
co-existent,  co-eternal  and  co-equal  in  power  and  wisdom.  The 
one  cannot  destroy  the  other,  but  men,  by  co-operating  with 
either,  can  raise  to  the  throne  of  grace  or  descend  to  the  pits 
of  torment.  They  worked  harmoniously  together  in  the  crea- 
tion of  this  planet  and  its  manifold  species  of  vegetable  and 
animal  life,  on  up  to  the  entrance  of  Adam  and  Eve  into  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  Here  a  controversy  arose  between  them  as 
to  the  disposition  of  their  crowning  work — Man.  Having  cre- 
ated man  in  their  own  "image"  (which  implies  the  power  of 
choice),  they  could  not  deprive  him  of  the  right  to  choose 
whom  he  would  serve,  and  not  being  able  to  amicably  settle 
the  dispute,  they  mutually  agreed  to  separate,  and,  leaving 
man  in  his  original  state,  made  an  interchange  of  attributes, 
God  assuming  all  that  was  pure  and  elevating,  conceding  to 
Satan  all  that  was  vile  and  debasing.  God  said,  "I  will  win 
man  to  my  standing  and  by  my  manifestations  of  love,  kind- 
ness, gentleness,  patience  and  the  assurance  of  a  home  in 
glory."  Satan  replied:  "I  shall  induce  him  to  follow  me  by 
direct  appeals  to  his  animal  passions,  and  a  guarantee  to  make 
him  a  conspicuous  figure  in  my  kingdom."  The  lines  being 
thus  drawn  the  struggle  for  supremacy  for  man's  favor  be- 
gun, which  reached  its  maximum  intensity  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  century  preceding  the  birth  of  Christ.  Since  that 
time  the  world  has  steadily  grown  better  and  more  beauti- 
ful. Famines,  earthquakes  and  volcanic  eruptions,  and  the 
scourges  of  other  devastating  elements  have  been  less  fre- 
quent, and  the  people  are  learning  (through  arbitration)  to 
"beat  their  weapons  of  war  into  plowshares  and  pruning 


256  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WELLS 

hooks/'  thus  showing  that  if  Satan  was  a  long  time  in  making 
up  his  mind  to  dissolve  partnership  with  God,  he  is  equally 
slow  about  concluding  to  resume  the  old  relations.  There- 
fore, I  conclude  that  hell  may  continue  to  exist  for  some  thou- 
sand years,  but  it  and  death  will  finally  be  swallowed  up  in 
victory  as  Christ  said  they  would,  when  Satan's  abode  will  be 
turned  into  a  vast  bakeshop,  from  whence  the  sweetest  of 
bread  will  come  to  feed  the  millions  of  the  redeemed  and 
purified. 

Elsewhere  I  have  given  an  account  of  the  "cowboy"  and 
the  origin  of  the  "Maverick,"  and  a  description  of  its  disposi- 
tion. The  world,  as  I  see  it,  is  a  vast  stock  range,  and  the 
people  are  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  and  valleys,  and  are  con- 
tinually being  "rounded  up"  and  driven  into  the  corrals  of  the 
two  great  cattle  kings — God  and  Satan.  Those  who  will  not 
accept  God's  mercy,  and  are  indifferent  to  the  hardships  that 
Satan  imposes  upon  them,  are  the  "Mavericks,"  and  must, 
sooner  or  later,  run  the  gauntlet  of  the  invincible  "cowboys" 
with  their  long  lariats.  Satan  has  his  headquarters  in  the 
breweries  and  distilleries  and  obtains  his  "cowboys"  from  the 
saloons,  brothels  and  dens  of  vice.  They  are  provided  with 
swift,  black  horses  and  strong  lariats,  the  strands  of  which  are 
treachery,  deceit,  licentiousness,  intemperance,  lust,  envyings, 
vile  thoughts  and  hatred.  God  has  his  headquarters  in  the 
tabernacles  and  churches,  and  secures  recruits  for  his  band  of 
vaqueroes  from  the  school  houses  and  Sunday  schools.  These 
are  furnished  with  fleet-footed  white  horses  and  stout  lassoes, 
the  strands  of  which  are  honor,  righteousness,  temperance, 
justice,  charity,  patience,  kindness  and  love.  Out  west  the 
quadruped  "Maverick"  sometimes  escaped  the  cowboys  by 
slipping  into  the  bushes  where  the  lasso  could  not  be  used, 
but  the  elusion  was  only  temporary,  for  if  he  escaped  in  the 
spring  he  would  be  caught  at  the  fall  "round  up"  and,  having 
the  hot  iron  pressed  to  his  tender  skin,  was  no  longer  a  "Mav- 
erick," but  the  legitimate  property  of  Jones  or  Johnson.  Just 
so  with  the  biped  "Maverick,"  who  sometimes  eludes  Satan's 
cowboys  by  attending  church  and  Sunday  school,  or  by  enter- 
ing dens  of  vice  where  the  Lord's  vaqueroes  cannot  reach  him. 
But  occasionally  one  ventures  out  on  the  plain,  between  the 
heights  of  purity  and  the  depths  of  corruption ;  then  the  black 
horse  and  the  white  horse  riders — St.  John  saw  two  such  rid- 
ers on  a  similar  mission — make  a  rush  for  him.  The  "Maver- 
ick" runs  this  way  and  that,  first  giving  the  advantage  to  the 
black,  and  then  to  the  white  horse  riders,  then  running  straight 
ahead,  he  enters  a  parte-colored  throng  and  escapes  for  the 
time  being.  Another  comes  out  on  the  plain  and  is  lassoed  by 


EXCITING   DAYS  AND  DARING  DKMDS  -j.-)7 

the  black  horse  cowboys,  who  drag  him  to  the  snubbing-post, 
where  they  burn  into  his  heart  Satan's  initial  letters,  "C.  & 
L." — condemned  and  lost.  Still  another  ventures  upon  the 
plain  and  the  eager  cowboys,  one  party  flushed  with  victory 
and  the  other  stimulated  by  defeat,  make  a  simultaneous  dash 
for  him.  He  dodges  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  then  makes  a 
straight  cut  for  the  parte-colored  throng  (a  conglomeration 
of  sinners,  hypocrites,  infidels,  Christians  and  the  self-right- 
eous). Another  moment  and  he  is  safe.  The  black  horse 
riders  stab  their  panting  steeds  with  the  spurs  of  despair,  while 
the  white  horse  cowboys  ply  the  quirts  of  encouragement  to 
the  sides  of  their  flying  ponies.  One  more  leap  and  he  is  out 
of  reach  ;  but  hold,  there !  A  dozen  lassoes  hiss  through  the 
air,  the  loop  of  one  of  them  encircles  the  neck  of  the  fleeing 
"Maverick,"  and  a  white  horse  cowboy  claims  the  prize,  which 
is  led  away  to  the  snubbing-post,  where  it  is  branded  in  the 
forehead  with  the  large  initial  letters,  "F.  &  S." — forgiven  and 
saved.  Then  the  celestial  hosts  stand  still  while  the  victorious 
cowboys  send  up  a  shout  to  the  throne  of  God :  ''There  is  more 
joy  in  Heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth  than  ninety  and 
nine  just  men  who  need  no  repentance." 

This  exposition  of  the  biped  "Maverick"  may  seem  some- 
what metaphorical,  yet  it  is  a  literal  experience  in  my  own  life, 
for  Mesdames  Deomude,  Crosley  and  Smith  chased  me  over 
the  mountains  of  obtuseness  and  silly  pride,  up  and  down  the 
valleys  of  despondency  and  desperation,  and  finally  surround- 
ed me  on  the  great  plain  of  hope,  and,  dexterously  slipping  the 
noose  of  their  Master's  lariat  over  my  head,  led  me  away  in 
triumph  to  the  foot  of  the  cross,  where  I  heard  the  joyful 
words,  "Come  ye,  blessed  of  my  father,  where  I  a,m  there  shalt 
thou  be  also" — hence  I  am  no  longer  a  "Maverick,"  but  an 
heir  of  God  and  a  joint  heir  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  These 
blessed  angels  of  love  and  mercy  are  doing  for  others  what 
they  have  done  for  me,  thereby  adding  jewels  to  the  crowns 
that  are  being  prepared  for  them  in  the  land  of  glory  where 
they  shall  hear  the  glad  approval:  "Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servants,  enter  ye  into  the  presence  of  thy  Lord." 

Before  my  conversion,  when  hearing  people  in  prayer 
meeting  testify  that  God  had  forgiven  them  I  wondered  how 
this  information  reached  them  ;  but  now  the  manner  in  which 
consciousness  of  forgiveness  is  manifested  is  perfectly  compre- 
hensible, and  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  similarly  per- 
plexed I  will  state  how  the  knowledge  of  full  and  free  for- 
giveness came  to  me.  I  first  cultivated  a  desire  for  purity, 
goodness  and  peacefulness,  but,  trusting  in  my  own  strength 
and  wisdom  to  reach  this  state,  found  I  was  still  unforgiven. 


258  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  POLK  WKI.LS 

Then  I  began  praying  to  God  to  put  me  in  a  proper  mood  to 
receive  his  grace  and  smiles.  Night  and  morning  I  knelt  be- 
side my  cot  and  asked  Heavenly  guidance,  and  besought 
Christ  to  take  complete  possession  of  my  soul  and  free  it  from 
every  form  of  atheism,  impiety  and  hypocrisy ;  that  he  would 
help  me  to  be  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  my  duties,  to  be  re- 
spectful and  obedient  to  the  powers  that  be;  that  he  would 
help  me  to  refrain  from  calumny,  detraction,  deceit,  envy, 
fraud,  hatred,  lying  and  ingratitude ;  that  he  would  assist  me 
to  be  sincere  in  friendship  and  watchful  against  pride  and 
anger;  that  he  would  fill  my  heart  with  kindliness  and  benev- 
olence, with  tenderness  for  the  weak,  with  respect  and  gentle- 
ness toward  the  aged  and  infirm ;  that  he  would  aid  me  in 
cultivating  frankness,  cheerfulness  and  to  be  ready  at  all  times 
to  rejoice  in  the  good  of  others,  and  to  have  pity  and  compas- 
sion on  the  unfortunate;  that  he  would  constantly  remain  at 
my  side,  guiding  me  in  the  way  of  honor,  sobriety,  innocence 
and  goodness,  and  make  me  truly  virtuous  and  magnanimous, 
and  ready  to  forgive  my  enemies  (if  any  exist)  as  willing  to 
accept  forgiveness  for  myself.  All  of  this  the  dear  Lord  has 
done  for  me,  and  the  last  unclean  spirit  to  come  forth  from  my 
heart  was  the  demon,  vengeance.  The  latter  being  utterly  cast 
out,  I  felt  that  the  Son  had  indeed  "set  me  free"  and  would  to 
God  that  all  men  were  as  I  am,  except  these  stripes  and  being 
bound  by  the  law.  There  is  not  a  person  so  mean  that  I  would 
hesitate  to  enter  the  flames  of  Hell  to  assist  in  making  an  es- 
cape from  Satan ;  there  is  not  one  so  vile  that  I  would  not  give 
him  my  hand  and  help  him  to  raise  to  a  higher  plane  of  life ; 
there  is  not  a  person  anywhere  against  whom  I  have  the  slight- 
est ill  feeling.  To  adore  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  is  the 
height  of  my  ambition ;  to  treat  my  fellow-men  with  respect 
and  kindness  is  my  miission ;  therefore  I  know,  for  certainty, 
that  I  am  a  forgiven,  redeemed  man ;  a  "brand  plucked  from 
the  burning,"  and  a  witness  to  the  power  of  the  regenerated 
influence  eminating  from  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  If 
there  were  a  mountain  of  doubt  as  to  the  genuineness  of  mir- 
acles, this  transformation  of  my  character  would  be  sufficient 
to  remove  it  and  cast  it  into  the  sea  of  nothingness — he  who 
can,  in  sincerity  and  truth,  make  a  declaration  like  the  above, 


EXCITING  DAYS  AND  DARING  DEEDS  259 

may  know,  without  a  shadow  of  a  doubt,  that  he  is  a  redeemed 
soul,  "washed  clean  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

In  conclusion,  and  as  typical  of  my  return  to  my  mother's 
God,  I  will  present  the  following  beautiful  lines :  "Reclaimed," 
by  Susie  M.  Best,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

"I  have  grasped  in  the  blackness  of  darkness, 

I  have  scoffed  at  my  early  belief, 
I  have  felt  all  my  faith  go  to  pieces 

Like  a  vessel  that's  wrecked  on  a  reef. 

I  have  mocked  at  the  scriptural  teachings, 

And  flung  them  as  fables  aside, 
The  truth  of  miraculous  marvels, 

My  lips  have  boldly  denied. 

I  have  labored  with  abstruse  questions, 

And  vexed  my  spirit  for  naught, 
For  in  all  the  lore  of  the  ages 

I  have  found  not  the  solace  I  sought. 

I  have  wandered  far  off  in  the  highway, 

And  swore  I  would  never  return ; 
But  back  like  a  suppliant  stealing 

The  fold  I  am  glad  to  discern. 

All  else  but  the  fond  faith  of  childhood 

Is  ruin  and  ashes  I  know, 
And  so  I  am  once  more  praying 

The  prayers  that  I  lisped  long  ago." 


I  U 


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